Atlanta Falcons Sign Linebacker after Kendal Daniels Injury

The Atlanta Falcons have signed a linebacker with Kendal Daniels in doubt after suffering a head injury on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kendal Daniels was injured on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. He's been a standout as a rookie this season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Falcons were busy this week trying to fill gaps in their roster as injuries have mounted, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The move that grabbed the most attention this week was probably the signing of quarterback Andy Dalton and the release of quarterback Cooper Rush.

But the Falcons will probably get more help on the field from their defensive signings. They signed edge rusher Charles Snowden off of the Commanders' practice squad yesterday, and later they announced they added rookie linebacker TJ Quinn to the practice squad.

Quinn was signed to add some depth to the Falcons' linebacker room, which suffered injuries to both Divine Deablo and Kendal Daniels. The first injury report of the week will be out on Wednesday afternoon, but it would be a surprise to see Daniels in uniform, even though he appears to have avoided major injury.

Quinn is a native of Valdosta, Ga. and went to Lowndes High School. He spent four years at Louisville and had an extremely productive career. In 2025, he posted 95 tackles with 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions.

He had 82 tackles as a junior and 92 tackles as a sophomore.

He signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent, but didn't make the initial 53-man roster. At 6'0 and 225 pounds, Quinn had a good Pro Day with the Cardinals in the fall, clocking a 4.53 forty, but it wasn't enough to get him drafted.

The Falcons have had good luck with their rookie linebackers this season. Daniels was a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma, and Harold Perkins Jr. was selected in the sixth round in April's NFL Draft. Both have shown long-term potential to man the inside in the future.

Deablo is the veteran, and he's had a relatively poor season. He missed some time in training camp with an ankle injury, and he's looked a step slow laterally. He's on the final year of a two-year deal, and at this rate, the Falcons likely wouldn't bring him back next season, preferring to hand the reins full-time to Daniels and Perkins.

The Falcons' linebackers have a tough matchup this week as they are understaffed with the San Francisco 49ers coming to Mercedes-Benz. Running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are all players who will stress the second level of the defense.

Kickoff is at 1 p,m. EST on FOX.

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