Falcons' Arthur Smith Reveals Troy Andersen Injury Update
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen may soon find himself sidelined once again with an injury.
After recovering from a concussion suffered in Week 1, Andersen hurt his shoulder in the Falcons' 20-6 loss against the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field. Coach Arthur Smith had little to share on Andersen's status following the game.
"They’re evaluating the shoulder," Smith said. "Sometimes you have to wait until you have MRIs. I don’t have any update on him.”
Andersen ranked third on the team in tackles with nine in Sunday's loss. Only Jessie Bates III (11) and Kaden Elliss (10) recorded more tackles than Andersen.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen at the NFL Combine.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Should Andersen be unable to play, the Falcons will likely turn to Nate Landman as the starter alongside Elliss.
Landman had an impressive summer in which he went from fringe roster piece to the No. 3 linebacker, a role he officially claimed once Atlanta released incumbent Mykal Walker in the middle of August.
In Andersen's absence in Week 2, Landman stepped up in a big way, recording four tackles in last week's win against the Green Bay Packers.
“I thought he did a fantastic job," assistant head coach Jerry Gray said of Landman last week. "When you look at the runs, our (defensive backs) watched the run plays and he was just hitting guys, and I was like, ‘Woah, that’s amazing.’ That’s what you want. You want linebackers coming downhill hitting guys."
The Falcons travel across the pond this week to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
