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The Atlanta Falcons signed defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson to their active roster on Monday, September 19.
Anderson played 11 snaps on defense and five on special teams in Sunday’s 31-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He ended the day with two tackles and one tackle for loss.
Anderson originally signed with the Falcons back in August and has been a player that Atlanta has already signed and re-signed in prior roster moves.
Anderson Joined the NFL in 2018
Following four impressive seasons at Bucknell University, Anderson ended up going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, despite being invited to private workouts with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks a few weeks prior.
He went on to sign with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. Anderson didn’t make the active roster as a rookie, nor did he play a single snap. However, he remained in Chicago the following season after signing a future/reserve contract.
That year, Anderson landed on the Bears’ finals roster and made his first NFL debut in the season opener against the Packers. He was demoted to the team’s practice squad the following week and was elevated back and forth throughout the year. Anderson finished the 2019 season recording his first NFL sack in addition to 4 total tackles (3 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 3 pressures.
Chicago released him at the start of the 2020 season and he was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings where he spent most of his time on the team’s practice squad, except for the one game he was elevated for.
More recently, the 26-year-old split the 2021 season with stops at the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, and Tennessee Titans, plus a second stop in Green Bay.
In four NFL seasons thus far, Anderson has played in 11 games and has logged eight tackles and a sack.
Falcons Send Damien Williams to IR
The Falcons placed running back Damien Williams on injured reserve with a rib injury over the weekend, which made an open spot on the roster for Anderson.
Williams went down with a rib injury after a 300-pound lineman fell on his back and onto the football during the first play of the Falcons’ second drive against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1.
“An ugly sight,” Williams said Monday following the Falcons’ 27-26 loss. “It’s a part of the game. You have to take the bruises. Get up and shake it off.”
While Williams shook it off on the outside, he was feeling the pain on the inside.
“You ever had a time when you couldn’t breathe,” Williams said. “I was trying to find it. In that moment, and then you have your pads and everything squeezing on you. When the trainers came out there, I was like, get me up now.”
Williams mentioned that it was not the first time he hurt his ribs during a game before. He also noted that knew he didn’t break his rib because he did that as a child and you hear a crack and he didn’t hear a crack this time.
He even went back in briefly before returning to the sidelines and finished the day 22 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. Williams originally had plans to play in Week 2’s game against LA but then ended up on the IR list.
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