Atlanta Falcons Injuries

Hall will now be forced to miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign unless he's let go with an injury settlement. He most recently played for the Cardinals, appearing in two games during the 2025 season, and will now shift his focus to getting healthy.

Banks was waived by the Falcons on Sunday with an injury designation. The linebacker will now spend the entirety of the 2026 regular season on IR unless he is waived with an injury settlement.

Hand's move to injured reserve comes as no surprise since it was previously announced that he'd miss the remainder of the season due to a torn quadriceps suffered during the team's Week 1 loss to the Steelers. The 30-year-old played just seven defensive snaps and failed to log any stats before getting hurt and will now shift his focus to getting healthy for the 2027 campaign.

The nature of Bertrand's injury is not clear, but the move to IR means the third-year pro will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the regular season, making Week 5 against the Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 11 the earliest he can return. He logged 35 tackles (13 solo) and two pass defenses across 15 regular-season games in 2025, contributing both on defense and special teams.

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Williams was ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers due to his ankle injury. The offensive tackle will evidently need more time to recover and now must miss at least four games before he is eligible to return from IR. Jake Matthews will likely get the start at left tackle in Williams' absence.

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Collins did not play in the Falcons' preseason finale against the Dolphins on Friday due to an unknown injury. The wide receiver will now need to miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season before he is permitted to rejoin the team's active roster.

Despite logging a full practice Friday, Bowman won't suit up for the Week 2 meeting with Carolina. With A.J. Terrell (shoulder) questionable, Atlanta may need to lean more on Avieon Terrell and C.J. Henderson.

The move comes after Harrison passed his physical Friday, putting him on track to participate in Saturday's training camp practice. The 2023 third-rounder was limited to seven regular-season games last year due to a knee injury and ended the 2025 campaign on injured reserve. Harrison is expected to start opposite Brandon Dorlus at defensive end, with Chris Williams and LaCale London working in rotation.

Thompson spent all of training camp on the active/non-football injury list, making the defensive tackle eligible to start the season on the reserve/NFI list. The 23-year-old is now required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season before being eligible to return to the active roster.

Malone was initially placed on the active/PUP list this past Wednesday due to an undisclosed injury. Now that he's on the reserve/PUP, Malone will be required to miss the entire 2026 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Falcons. He appeared in nine regular-season games for Atlanta last year and finished with eight tackles (two solo) and one interception.

Penix was ruled out for Week 2 on Friday, so Cooper Rush will start for the Falcons for the second time in as many games. However, Penix has been practicing fully for two weeks, and if he feels confident that he is ready to play on his surgically-repaired left knee, he could take over as Atlanta's starter in Week 3.

Tagovailoa likely will join Michael Penix (knee) on the sideline this weekend, while coach Kevin Stefanski announced Cooper Rush as Atlanta's starting quarterback for a second straight week, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. As for Tagovailoa, he hasn't been able to practice since sustaining a strained oblique last Thursday,Sept. 10 and likely will need to do so in order to put himself in a position to be available for next Thursday's road matchup with the Packers.

Terrell didn't practice Wednesday but logged a full session Thursday. However, he was absent again Friday, resulting in a questionable designation. With Billy Bowman (Achilles) already ruled out, Avieon Terrell and C.J. Henderson may be tasked with taking on more prominent roles alongside Mike Hughes.

Sample was waived by the 49ers on Wednesday with a knee issue. The signing means the linebacker passed his physical and should be good to go for the preseason. Sample should slot in as a third-string option at outside linebacker, right on the edge of a potential 53-man roster spot.

Despite drawing interest from a few teams, Dexter will head to Atlanta in exchange for Clark Phillips and a fifth-round pick. The 25-year-old has appeared in 49 regular-season games for the Bears throughout his career, totaling 115 tackles and 13.5 sacks. Dexter has been battling a hamstring injury suffered during a recent practice, so his Week 1 status is in limbo.

Lindstrom has not yet cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, but there's still a chance he's given the green light by an independent neurologist before Sunday's game. If Lindstrom cannot play, Kyle Hinton will likely draw the start at right guard.

Dewberry got rolled up on and appeared to be having trouble putting weight on his left leg. The offensive guard will receive a further evaluation before a potential return timeline is given. With Dewberry out, Kyle Hinton will likely be the primary depth option at guard for the Falcons.

The 28-year-old linebacker may have felt under the weather upon waking up Sunday, and his availability now looks like it could come down to a game-time decision leading up to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. In the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Steelers, Deablo played every defensive snap and finished with seven stops and one fumble recovery.

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The 28-year-old linebacker may have felt under the weather upon waking up Sunday, and his availability now looks like it could come down to a game-time decision leading up to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. In the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Steelers, Deablo played every defensive snap and finished with seven stops and one fumble recovery.

Penix was ruled out for Week 2 on Friday, so Cooper Rush will start for the Falcons for the second time in as many games. However, Penix has been practicing fully for two weeks, and if he feels confident that he is ready to play on his surgically-repaired left knee, he could take over as Atlanta's starter in Week 3.

Terrell didn't practice Wednesday but logged a full session Thursday. However, he was absent again Friday, resulting in a questionable designation. With Billy Bowman (Achilles) already ruled out, Avieon Terrell and C.J. Henderson may be tasked with taking on more prominent roles alongside Mike Hughes.

Despite logging a full practice Friday, Bowman won't suit up for the Week 2 meeting with Carolina. With A.J. Terrell (shoulder) questionable, Atlanta may need to lean more on Avieon Terrell and C.J. Henderson.

Lindstrom has not yet cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, but there's still a chance he's given the green light by an independent neurologist before Sunday's game. If Lindstrom cannot play, Kyle Hinton will likely draw the start at right guard.

Tagovailoa likely will join Michael Penix (knee) on the sideline this weekend, while coach Kevin Stefanski announced Cooper Rush as Atlanta's starting quarterback for a second straight week, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. As for Tagovailoa, he hasn't been able to practice since sustaining a strained oblique last Thursday,Sept. 10 and likely will need to do so in order to put himself in a position to be available for next Thursday's road matchup with the Packers.

Terrell was able to return to Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh after hurting his shoulder while defending a pass, so Atlanta may just be exercising an abundance of caution. He could still avoid carrying an injury designation into the weekend if he practices in full Thursday or Friday.

Hand's move to injured reserve comes as no surprise since it was previously announced that he'd miss the remainder of the season due to a torn quadriceps suffered during the team's Week 1 loss to the Steelers. The 30-year-old played just seven defensive snaps and failed to log any stats before getting hurt and will now shift his focus to getting healthy for the 2027 campaign.

Penix practiced fully from Wednesday through Friday last week and ultimately was inactive for Week 1, so he is not a lock to suit up for Week 2 just yet. However -- per the same source above -- he shared the first-team work with Cooper Rush on Wednesday, and -- via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com -- Penix himself indicated he could take the field Sunday. It likely will not be known for a day or two who will start at quarterback for the Falcons in Week 2, but at the least Penix is in the mix.

Tagovailoa missed the Falcons' Week 1 loss at Pittsburgh due to an oblique strain that he suffered in practice last Thursday. He hasn't practiced in the meantime, but he still will have two more sessions this week to mix into drills and potentially gain clearance to play Sunday against the Panthers. If Tagovailoa isn't able to do so and Michael Penix (knee) remains sidelined, Cooper Rush likely would be the Falcons' starting QB in Week 2.

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Hand will be forced to miss the remainder of the season while recovering from surgery. In his absence, Maason Smith will have the opportunity to carve out a more significant role for himself on the defensive line with Atlanta.

With Lindstrom done for the day, Kyle Hinton has taken over at right guard. Lindstrom will have to clear the league's concussion protocol in order to be available for the Falcons' Week 2 clash against the Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Williams was ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers due to his ankle injury. The offensive tackle will evidently need more time to recover and now must miss at least four games before he is eligible to return from IR. Jake Matthews will likely get the start at left tackle in Williams' absence.

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While addressing the media shortly after the Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter Monday, Stefanski noted that Penix had taken part in only six 11-on-11 practices during training camp, so the third-year quarterback will need some more time to get back to full speed following last November's ACL tear before making his 2026 debut, per Raimondi. The Falcons were pleased enough with Penix's progress to wait until less than a week before the opener to name a starter, which suggests that he'll likely get a chance to supplant Tagovailoa atop the depth chart at some point this season. While Penix is in street clothes for Week 1, Cooper Rush will step in as Tagovailoa's backup, and undrafted rookie Jack Strand will serve as the No. 3 quarterback.

Thompson spent all of training camp on the active/non-football injury list, making the defensive tackle eligible to start the season on the reserve/NFI list. The 23-year-old is now required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season before being eligible to return to the active roster.

Collins did not play in the Falcons' preseason finale against the Dolphins on Friday due to an unknown injury. The wide receiver will now need to miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season before he is permitted to rejoin the team's active roster.

Bowman continues to make strides in his return from an Achilles injury, and the passed physical marks another positive milestone. Had he landed on the PUP list to open the season, Bowman would have been out for the first four games at minimum. Now it appears the Falcons are confident that they'll have Bowman back in the fold sooner rather than later, even if his status for Week 1 remains murky.

The nature of Bertrand's injury is not clear, but the move to IR means the third-year pro will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the regular season, making Week 5 against the Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 11 the earliest he can return. He logged 35 tackles (13 solo) and two pass defenses across 15 regular-season games in 2025, contributing both on defense and special teams.

Banks was waived by the Falcons on Sunday with an injury designation. The linebacker will now spend the entirety of the 2026 regular season on IR unless he is waived with an injury settlement.

It's unknown how severe the injury is, but questions concerning Hand's health arose after Atlanta acquired Gervon Dexter from Chicago on Sunday. Hand, the 2018 No. 114 overall pick, has bounced around the NFL since being drafted, making stops in Detroit, Miami and Los Angeles (Chargers), where he most recently appeared in 13 regular-season games and amassed 29 total tackles and 1.5 sacks during the 2025-26 campaign. Until there is a definitive update, the 30-year-old should at least be considered day-to-day.

Despite drawing interest from a few teams, Dexter will head to Atlanta in exchange for Clark Phillips and a fifth-round pick. The 25-year-old has appeared in 49 regular-season games for the Bears throughout his career, totaling 115 tackles and 13.5 sacks. Dexter has been battling a hamstring injury suffered during a recent practice, so his Week 1 status is in limbo.

Hall will now be forced to miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign unless he's let go with an injury settlement. He most recently played for the Cardinals, appearing in two games during the 2025 season, and will now shift his focus to getting healthy.

Penix was cleared for team drills as of Saturday, but coach Kevin Stefanski won't allow the third-year pro to suit up with only three such practices under his belt. Penix also told Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network that it's "too soon" to play in a game, but he thinks he'll be capable both physically and mentally to be the starter if Stefanski names him the No. 1 over competitor Tua Tagovailoa. Penix is completing the final stages of his recovery from the torn ACL he sustained in his left knee in Week 11 of last season.

Dewberry got rolled up on and appeared to be having trouble putting weight on his left leg. The offensive guard will receive a further evaluation before a potential return timeline is given. With Dewberry out, Kyle Hinton will likely be the primary depth option at guard for the Falcons.

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Sermon signed with the Falcons in early August. The running back's unknown injury has earned him a spot on the season-ending IR, and he will be unable to participate in 2026 unless he is waived with an injury settlement. With two weeks of preseason remaining, the Falcons will likely look into signing another running back prospect for depth.

Limited to 7-on-7s at training camp, Penix may or may not play this preseason, but he at least figures to increase his practice involvement soon. Tua Tagovailoa will start Friday's exhibition and remain a strong favorite for the Week 1 nod, but Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski reiterated Wednesday that he isn't ready to name his Week 1 starter yet.

Sample was waived by the 49ers on Wednesday with a knee issue. The signing means the linebacker passed his physical and should be good to go for the preseason. Sample should slot in as a third-string option at outside linebacker, right on the edge of a potential 53-man roster spot.

The move comes after Harrison passed his physical Friday, putting him on track to participate in Saturday's training camp practice. The 2023 third-rounder was limited to seven regular-season games last year due to a knee injury and ended the 2025 campaign on injured reserve. Harrison is expected to start opposite Brandon Dorlus at defensive end, with Chris Williams and LaCale London working in rotation.

Malone was initially placed on the active/PUP list this past Wednesday due to an undisclosed injury. Now that he's on the reserve/PUP, Malone will be required to miss the entire 2026 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Falcons. He appeared in nine regular-season games for Atlanta last year and finished with eight tackles (two solo) and one interception.

Bowman continues to progress in his recovery from a torn Achilles that he suffered this past November, and he'll be eligible to participate in training camp practices once he's fully healthy. Bowman was a fourth-round selection of the Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft and logged 26 tackles (15 solo), including 1.5 sacks, two pass defenses (including one interception) and one forced fumble across six regular-season games prior to his Achilles injury.

Per Josh Kendall of The Athletic, an injury prevented Thompson from participating in offseason activities, though the nature and severity of the issue is unclear. Once fully healthy, the rookie sixth-rounder will be eligible to participate in practices.