Steelers Week 1 Opponent, Falcons Playmaker WR Suffers Season-Ending Injury
The Atlanta Falcons placed wide receiver Rondale Moore (knee) on their reserve/injured list, the team announced Thursday. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that it’s a season-ending injury.
Moore knee injury occurred during the team’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday. He was carted off the field and the joint practice ended prematurely.
“Certainly thoughts and prayers are with Rondale,” Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said, via Terrin Waack of Falcons.com.
Moore was acquired from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder this offseason. Moore was receiving first-team reps, specifically since the introduction of full-pads work last week.
In 2023, Moore recorded 40 receptions for 352 yards and a touchdown. For his three-year career, he has 135 receptions for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns.
Of course, with Moore being out for the season, he won’t be available for the Week 1 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 8 in Atlanta. Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud are listed as the top three receivers on the Falcons’ depth chart.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington signed with Atlanta on July 29. Washington had 114 catches for 1,629 yards and 11 TDs over four years with the Steelers (2018-21).
Washington reunites with former Steelers wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard, who’s now Atlanta’s WR coach. McCloud is also a former Steeler.
The Week 1 matchup will be the second time that Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris have faced each other as head coaches. Morris is a prodigy of Tomlin during his time in Tampa Bay.
The first meeting occurred when Morris was the head coach of the Tamp Bay Buccaneers in 2010. It wasn’t a pretty afternoon for Morris, either, as the Steelers destroyed the Bucs, 38-10. Morris knows he will have his hands full in Week 1 with Tomlin.
“As much pride as I have about it being with him, for me, I better worry about it after the fact when we’re all said and done because big bro is coming,” Morris said.
The Steelers’ Week 1 game against the Falcons in Atlanta has several storylines in addition to Tomlin vs. Morris. The main one will be Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith returning to Atlanta after being fired as the team’s head coach at the end of the 2023 season. The Steelershttps://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1788262343274627470″>
also added four players this offseason who played in Atlanta for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith — Scotty Miller, Cordarrelle Patterson, Van Jefferson and MyCole Pruitt