Getty Jared Bernhardt of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons sent rookie wide receiver Jared Bernhardt to the injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game, Josh Kendall of The Athletic announced.
Bernhardt’s name was on the injury report all week leading up to Week 7’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with a groin injury.
Per league protocol, Bernhardt will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. He will be eligible to return in Week 11 when the Falcons take on the Chicago Bears at home.
Bernhardt Came to Atlanta With An Intriguing Past
The rookie wideout his case to land on the Falcons’ 53-man roster following a solid performance in all of Atlanta’s preseason games against the Lions, Jets and Jaguars.
But his NFL debut is what really put Bernhardt on the map. With just under two minutes remaining, he leaped to snag a catch from rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder for a pivotal, game-winning touchdown on a fourth-and-nine play.
He finished the preseason hauling in five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
The Ferris State product came to Atlanta with a unique background as he was a star lacrosse player at the University of Maryland before transferring to Ferris State to play quarterback.
Bernhardt played lacrosse for five seasons with the Terps, finishing his collegiate career as an all-time leader in career points with 290 and goals (202). He currently holds the Maryland program’s single-season records with points (99) and goals (71).
Bernhardt has just one college football season under his belt, but a notable one. After transferring to Ferris State, he led the team to an undefeated season and won the Division II national title.
He finished the 2021 season with 1,322 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns. He also led the ground game with 1,273 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns.
His headlining college career caught the attention of Falcons scouts and he made the move to wide receiver following a tryout with the team. Bernhardt has not seen action since Week 3 and has yet to record a reception in a regular-season game, but his time will come once he is healthy.
Falcons Elevate DB to Active Roster
Aside from Bernhardt, the Falcons made another move on Saturday and bumped up cornerback Cornell Armstrong from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
The move comes after the Falcons ruled out cornerback Dee Alford with a hamstring injury and lost Casey Hayward to injured reserve.
Armstrong spent the end of the preseason on IR and was waived with an injury settlement before re-signing with the Falcons earlier this month. His injury actually gave Alford a better shot at making the active roster.
The Falcons initially signed Armstrong to their practice squad in December of last year after losing starting right cornerback Fabian Moreau to a hamstring injury in Week 13.
Armstrong was never promoted to the active roster in 2021.
Now, Armstrong will get to make a case for a reserve role as the Falcons take on the Bengals Sunday. For now, A.J. Terrell, Isaiah Oliver and Darren Hall will be Atlanta’s top three at the corner position.