Falcons CB Isaiah Oliver Returns to Practice; Will He Play Sunday vs. Bucs?
The Atlanta Falcons are getting healthier, and it couldn't come at a better time.
The team has finished the season's first four weeks with consecutive wins and hold a 2-2 record, good enough to be tied for first in the NFC South.
Fortunately for the Falcons, with four games in the books, all of the players who they put on injured reserve before the start of the season are now eligible to return. Among the names on the list are nickel cornerback Isaiah Oliver, linebacker Deion Jones and left guard Jalen Mayfield.
Oliver is the lone player expected to contend for a starting spot once he's back in the fold, but after missing all but three games with a knee injury last year and being slowly brought along in training, the date of his return has long been in question.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith, never one to set timetables, didn't give a specific target for Oliver's activation, but did reveal that it appears to be close.
"Expect Isaiah to be back sooner than later," said Smith.
Well, "sooner than later" is now, as Oliver returned to practice Wednesday. The Falcons will now have 21 days to transition him into the 53-man roster. This means that Oliver could make his 2022 debut Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dee Alford and Mike Ford have stepped in for Oliver at nickel, with the former making the game-sealing interception with less than a minute to go in Sunday's 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns and the latter making his presence felt as a gunner on special teams.
While Oliver's trending in the right direction, none of the other pre-Week 1 injured reserve members seem to be nearing a return, though Smith is optimistic that running back Damien Williams could re-join the team when he's eligible next week.
"We'll get an opportunity coming up to get Damien (Williams) back, (but) not this week," Smith said. "The rest of those guys, we'll continue to assess and listen to the doctors and keep in communication with them."
The Falcons received tough injury news Monday as star running back Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the next four weeks, meaning Williams' return could be a significant help to the running attack.
Defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, tight end John FitzPatrick, defensive tackle Vincent Taylor and long snapper Beau Brinkley are the other members of Atlanta's injured reserve. Taylor is likely out for the season following a ruptured Achilles in training camp, but the rest of the group should have an opportunity to return down the road.
In the meantime, the Falcons will take their active roster down to Raymond James Stadium for a divisional matchup against the Buccaneers, with the winner holding sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
Kickoff between the Falcons and Buccaneers is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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