Atlanta Falcons Provide Injury Report on 2 Key Starters ahead of Buffalo Bills Clash

The Atlanta Falcons enjoyed an early Week 5 bye, the earliest possible in the season, giving them a much-needed break from action, allowing players to recuperate from injuries suffered during the early portion of the season.

Of Atlanta’s injured players not on the IR, Morris shared in Thursday’s presser that wide receiver Darnell Mooney would not be practicing with the team on Thursday.

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Mooney left Atlanta’s Week 4 victory over the Washington Commanders during the third quarter with what was cited as a hamstring injury. Mooney was previously dealing with a shoulder injury that he suffered during the first day of training camp, which held him out until Week 2.

“Right now, Mooney is still day-to-day,” Morris said. “We’ll see what that is. He’ll be out today. We’ll get a good feel for what it looks like moving forward.”

The receiver’s status for Monday’s game is currently in doubt. Before the bye week, it was expected that Mooney would play in Week 6 and likely not miss any games, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. However, Morris’s update on Thursday does not seem as optimistic as Rapoport’s original report; Mooney’s status will be something to monitor this week.

While Mooney would not be practicing on Thursday, cornerback A.J. Terrell returned.

Terrell left Atlanta’s Week 2 victory over the Minnesota Vikings late in the second half with a hamstring injury. He would not return to the field and has not played since. While Dee Alford filled in nicely for Terrell for a game and a half, he struggled in Week 4, giving up four receptions on five targets and a 95.0 passer rating when the ball was thrown his way.

Morris said he was “feeling good about it” regarding Terrell playing in Week 6 on Tuesday. He doubled down on that sentiment on Thursday.

“A.J. [Terrell] is always great to get back, and he’s coming back today for practice. He’ll be out there again. I feel really good about that moving forward.” Morris said.

The Falcons would love to see their star cornerback return for a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Atlanta has also had multiple players on the injured reserve (IR), including Storm Norton, Bralen Trice, Jordan Fuller, and Ta’Quon Graham. Head coach Raheem Morris revealed Tuesday that the only player entering the 21-day practice period would be Graham, allowing him to return any time between Week 6’s matchup with the Bills and Week 8’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

Once a player’s window is open, the team has 21 days to place him on the 53-man roster or back on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

The potential return of A.J. Terrell would provide a major boost for a defense that is already ranked No.1 in terms of total defense. Meanwhile, the Falcons will continue to monitor the status of Darnell Mooney as they look to get close to full strength for their first home appearance on Monday Night Football since 2018.