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The Atlanta Falcons could have a key piece back in their secondary for their Week 11 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, who attended Atlanta’s media portion of practice, first reported that cornerback A.J. Terrell was back, though limited.
Terrell has missed three straight games due to a hamstring injury.
Smith said his status for Sunday is “in the air” and that he wants to test how his hamstring is throughout the week, per Rothstein.
He also added that he “needs” to see him back to being himself again after he re-injured it against Cincinnati in Week 7.
It’s been a frustrating time for the Falcons starter, who turned to yoga to keep his mind at ease.
“Being able to just get away. Mentally, doing stretches, and doing things to help me get back but also, yoga helped with a lot of mental,” Terrell told reporters Wednesday, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “Just being able to get away a little bit and just think. It just works in all facets.”
Terrell’s Presence Has Been Missed
Terrell was covering Bengals’ star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase when he went down, held his hamstring, and limped off the field.
This wasn’t a new injury for Terrell after he missed some of Week 6’s win over San Francisco when he left the game early with a thigh injury.
Prior to being sidelined, Terrell logged 28 tackles, five passes defended, a forced fumble and fumble recovery through seven games this season.
With starting cornerback Casey Hayward on injured reserve, the Falcons really couldn’t afford to lose Terrell in their dwindling secondary. Not to mention the fact that their teammates got a glimpse of what the defense is like without their top cornerback duo against a pick-your-poison offense like Cincy’s.
“We feel those guys. You know what I’m saying? A.J. and Casey, those are our star guys out there,” linebacker Mykal Walker told the media after their 35-17 loss.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had himself a day against a banged-up Falcons defense and 34 of 42 for 481 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with one rushing score.
And he hasn’t been the only QB since then who has taken advantage of the defense.
Terrell’s return this Sunday would be huge for a 4-6 Falcons team that is still in the playoff hunt, but health certainly comes first.
Falcons Sign Safety Depth to Practice Squad
On Tuesday, November 15, the Falcons added some safety depth to their practice squad by signing Devon Key.
Key,25, was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 after going undrafted out of Western Kentucky. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad and then was released ahead of the 2022 season.
Prior to entering the league, Key was a standout at WKU where he started all four seasons. His best two years came-to-back. As a junior, he recorded 93 tackles for third on the team. He also logged his second career interception for a score. And during his senior year, Key broke the FBS-era record for career tackles, logging a total of 350. He was named second-team All-Conference USA following the season.
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