The Falcons have played their season without starting edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.. The latter is eligible for reinstatement after serving an eight-game suspension; the former is out for the year with an ACL tear.
As Pearce prepares to return, Atlanta will be without another of its EDGE regulars. Samson Ebukam is now on IR, The Athletic’s Josh Kendall notes. hamstring injury will pause the veteran’s 10th NFL season. Additionally, the Falcons are readying edge defender Yasir Abdullah to come back. Abdullah is now in the team’s IR-return window.
Atlanta added Ebukam not long after Pearce’s offseason arrest, though the signing occurred months before Walker’s injury. Ebukam signed a one-year, $2.77MM Falcons deal in March and has started three games this season. The 31-year-old edge player as 2.5 sacks and nine QB hits for the Falcons, his fourth NFL team.
Vets Ebukam and Za’Darius Smith have led the way for the Falcons on the edge this season, with the 30-somethings combining for seven sacks. Cameron Thomas has worked as a full-time starter this season at the position; he sits third on the team in sacks with two. Pearce finished with a team-high 10.5 last season, but his February arrest brought three felony charges. Pierce entered a pretrial diversion program this offseason, and the eight-game NFL ban soon followed.
The Falcons placed Abdullah on IR early last month; this marks his first week of practice eligibility, representing a good sign a return is close. A former Jaguar, Abdullah landed with the Falcons this summer via waiver claim. He played 31% of the team’s defensive snaps before being placed on IR. The Falcons have six IR activations remaining this season.