The Atlanta Falcons were forced to use kicker Younghoe Koo for two punts in Sunday’s 34-30 loss to Washington after Cameron Nizialek was sidelined early with a hamstring injury.
Nizialek’s current injury status remains unclear and he is still on the active roster. However, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported Monday, Oct. 4 that the Falcons signed punter Dustin Colquitt to their active roster, which likely means Nizialek’s Week 5 status is not looking good.
Falcons are signing P Dustin Colquitt to the 53-man roster from their practice squad, per source.
A corresponding move has not been made yet but should happen within the next few days or hours.
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Colquitt Is a Former Super Bowl LIV Champion
The Falcons originally signed Colquitt to the practice squad as an emergency plan after Nizialek shanked two costly punts in Week 2’s 48-25 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Colquitt also gave Nizialek some competition at practice, which ultimately seemed to have helped since he has stayed put on the 53-man roster over the Falcons last two games and redeemed himself.
Colquitt, 39, brings plenty of experience to the Falcons’ roster.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Colquitt in the third round (99th pick overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent 15 seasons with KC, where he notched Pro Bowl honors in 2012 and 2016.
He left the Chiefs after their 2019 Super Bowl LIV win and made his way to Pittsburgh where he played in five games with the Steelers and also one with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In over 16 NFL seasons, Colquitt has a 44.8-yard punting average, along with a 39.7 net average.
Falcons’ Starting Nickel Also Exited Sunday’s Game Early
Insider cornerback Isaiah Oliver went down early in the second quarter against Washington following a brutal hit on the Footballer’s running back J.D. McKissic.
Oliver hobbled off very slowly to the sidelines with the help of trainers and was soon carted off due to what was later deemed a knee injury. Rookie Avery Williams took over at the nickel spot.
Prior to the 2021 season, Oliver has not lived up to the hype since the Falcons took him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But since Oliver switched from playing outside corner to the inside, he’s been one of the key playmakers in Atlanta’s secondary.
When asked about his status in the post-game press conference, head coach Arthur Smith said, “I don’t know right now” and that Oliver along with the other injured players would be evaluated on Monday.
Falcons’ starting free safety Erik Harris was the third player to exit Sunday’s game early due to a calf injury. He was one of the more productive players on defense as he recorded six tackles (four solo) before leaving in the fourth quarter. Second-year player Jaylinn Hawkins replaced the 31-year-old veteran and should continue to see more playing time depending on how bad Harris’ injury is.
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Falcons Sign Emergency Punter to Active Roster: Report