Atlanta Falcons Lose Defender for 'Significant' Amount of Time

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons are back at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 11, looking to snap a four-game losing streak. An overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday already stings, but it will hurt more after the Falcons lost another contributor.

Special teams ace DeAngelo Malone left Sunday’s loss with a lower-body injury in the second half, and he did not return. On Monday afternoon, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris implied the injury would likely cost him several weeks.

“Yeah, he'll be out,” Morris said. “I don't have the exact on what it is, because I didn't have my medical meeting yet with the guys, but I do know he'll be out. He'll miss some significant time. I don't know exactly how much.”

According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the defender and special teams contributor broke his ankle and had surgery on Monday.

The former third-round pick has played in 58 games since joining the team in 2022 and has not missed a game since his rookie season. Malone has 3.0 sacks, 59 tackles, an interception, and seven tackles for loss in that time.

In 2025, he has taken 200 total snaps, but just 19 of those came on defense. One of those defensive snaps produced one of the Falcons’ biggest moments this season.

Malone had the game-clinching interception in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills. He picked off Josh Allen and dropped down to a knee, effectively ending the game.

“DeAngelo’s been a part of that rotation all year,” Morris said earlier this season. “He’s one of those guys that goes down on a bunch of different packages that we have. He’s done nothing but show us that he’s going to play better and get better. He’s been doing those things even since last year.

“He's been one of those guys that's been able to go out and find ways to get on the grass, whether it's as a dropper, whether it's as a rusher, whether it's a dominant special team player for us. He's a significant contributor to our football team, and I love seeing ‘D’Lo’ go out there and do positive things for us.”

Malone is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract. Depending on the severity of this injury, there is a chance that fans have seen the last of the Atlanta native in a Falcons uniform.

The Falcons will be looking to snap their four-game skid on Sunday. On the docket are the Carolina Panthers, a division rival who already beat the Falcons 30-0 in Week 3.