Falcons Get Devastating Injury News Ahead of Saints Matchup

The Atlanta Falcons got more devastating injury news on Friday afternoon, with the addition of rookie Billy Bowman Jr.'s Achilles injury.

Billy Bowman Jr. suffered an Achilles injury on Friday | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons are finalizing their Week 12 game plan with walkthroughs on Friday afternoon, but received more devastating injury news. 

Just days after losing quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to an ACL injury that will cost him his season and wide receiver Drake London to a PCL injury that will hold him sidelined indefinitely, the Falcons have now potentially lost another young contributor. 

Nickel cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. suffered what the team called an Achilles injury that head coach Raheem Morris said “is not good.” He will miss at least Sunday’s game, but potentially more depending on the severity of the injury. 

Bowman has struggled with some soft tissues that have already cost him several games, but this could be a potentially devastating development for the rookie. 

He joins London, defensive lineman Zach Harrison, and inside linebacker Josh Woods as the players who will be inactive in Week 12. 

Elsewhere, cornerback Dee Alford cleared concussion protocol and will be able to slot in for the now-injured Bowman. Outside cornerback Mike Hughes has also been removed from the injury report and will be good to play after missing each of the team’s last two games. 

Both guards, Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron, are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Bergeron has missed the Falcons’ last two games, but he said earlier this week that he is optimistic that he will play. Lindstrom has been on the injury report since picking up his injury against New England, but has played both games. 

Linebacker Divine Deablo was officially designated to return this week and will play on Sunday after being a full participant in each of the last two practices. He will be given a questionable designation since he is not on the team’s 53-man roster, but he is expected to be activated soon. 

See below for the full injury report from Friday’s practice, along with the injury designations, ahead of the Falcons’ Week 12 trip to New Orleans. 

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FULL PARTICIPANT:

• CB Mike Hughes (neck)
• ILB Divine Deablo (forearm) 
• CB Dee Alford (concussion)
• S Xavier Watts (illness) 
• ILB Malik Verdon (shoulder) 
• DL Brandon Dorlus (oblique) 
• G Matthew Bergeron (ankle)

LIMITED PARTICIPANT:

• LB Kaden Elliss (not injury related – resting player)
• T Jake Matthews (not injury related – resting player) 
• G Chris Lindstrom (foot) 

DID NOT PARTICIPATE:

• WR Drake London (knee)
• ILB Josh Woods (hamstring) 
• DL Zach Harrison (knee)
• CB Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles)
• Edge Leonard Floyd (hamstring) 
• S Jessie Bates III (not injury related – personal)
• LS Liam McCullough (not injury related – personal)
• DL David Onyemata (not injury related – resting player) 

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QUESTIONABLE:

• ILB Malik Verdon (shoulder) 
• Edge Leonard Floyd (hamstring) 
• G Chris Lindstrom (foot) 
• G Matthew Bergeron (ankle)

DOUBTFUL: 

• n/a

OUT: 

• WR Drake London (knee)
• ILB Josh Woods (hamstring) 
• DL Zach Harrison (knee)
• CB Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles)