Getty Head coach Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons are losing defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga to the Minnesota Vikings.
Tonga’s agent, David Canter, took to Twitter to publically congratulate his client after the Vikings signed him off of Atlanta’s practice squad.
Congratulations to @gse_football client @khyiristonga on being signed to @Vikings roster off the @AtlantaFalcons practice squad
This leaves the Falcons with an opening on their 16-man practice squad.
Per the official league rules, NFL organizations may establish a practice squad of 16 players. All players with zero accrued seasons or fewer than nine regular-season games in a single season are eligible for the practice squad. Additionally, teams can have up to 10 players with two or fewer accrued seasons and a max of six established veterans with unlimited accrued seasons on their practice squad.
A practice squad player is only able to be elevated three times per season and any more than that would mean the team would have to sign them to the 53-man roster.
Tonga Was a BYU Standout Prior to Entering the NFL
Tonga was originally a seventh-round (250th overall) pick by the Bears in the 2021 NFL draft.
He played 15 games last season and made 24 tackles (10 solo), one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery as a rookie. The Bears cut Tonga on August 31, and he then signed was signed to the Falcons practice squad.
He did not appear in any four of Atlanta’s games.
Prior to entering the 2021 NFL Draft, Tonga was a BYU standout.
During his four-year college career with the Cougars, Tonga recorded 130 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 12 pass defenses in 47 career games.
Khyiris Tonga just invented the nose tackle blitz. You might want to block that guy #ouch #BYU #BYUFootball
Falcons’ Latest Roster Moves
The Falcons made some roster moves on Monday.
For starters, the team sent running back Cordarrelle Patterson to Injured Reserve following a minor procedure on his knee.
Patterson had been dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of practice ahead of Week 4’s meeting vs. the Browns but he was determined to play anyway. After a career-high performance in Seattle, Patterson was limited to just nine carries for 38 yards against Cleveland.
Patterson will miss at least four weeks due to NFL rules, which means he is on tap to return in Week 6 when the Falcons take on the LA Chargers in Week 6.
Second, the Falcons signed running back Caleb Huntley to the 53-man roster in order to fill the void left by Patterson.
Huntley originally signed with the Falcons out of Ball State following the 2021 NFL Draft and spent his rookie year on Atlanta’s practice squad but has seen plenty of action so far this season. He has appeared in two games for the Falcons as a standard practice squad elevation against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 and Cleveland Browns in Week 4. He rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries (5.6 avg.) this Sunday’s 23-20 win over Cleveland.
Additionally, the Falcons inked cornerback Cornell Armstrong to the practice squad to the practice roster back to 16 players.
Armstrong re-joins the Falcons practice squad after initially signing with the team back in December of last year. The 27-year-old corner was originally a sixth-round pick out of Southern Miss for the Miami Dolphins in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 30 NFL, recording 10 (nine solo) total tackles with two on special teams thus far in his career.