Falcons Expect Injured LB to Return 'Sooner Than Later'

The Atlanta Falcons are thin at linebacker, but they won't be without starter Nate Landman for long.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Nate Landman is on injured reserve with quad and calf ailments. / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons lost a key piece to the middle of their defense Monday morning, placing linebacker Nate Landman on injured reserve with quad and calf injuries.

As a result, Landman will miss at least the next three games -- but his replacement, linebacker Troy Andersen, doesn't expect Landman to be out much longer than that.

"It's a bummer he's injured for a couple weeks, but we'll get him back sooner than later," Andersen said Wednesday. "Excited to have him back on the field because he's a tremendous competitor, tremendous player. Definitely adds some toughness and grit to our defense."

In Atlanta's 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, Landman earned the start and played 37 defensive snaps. He rotated with Andersen, who saw the field for 31 snaps.

Landman and Andersen, both third-year players, rotated throughout offseason practices and will continue doing so during the regular season on a package-dependent basis.

But with Landman out, Andersen ascended to a significant role in Monday night's 22-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The 25-year-old Andersen played 67 snaps -- all but four of the defense's total -- while collecting eight tackles.

The Falcons' linebacker room, as head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged Tuesday, is thin. Atlanta has only three linebackers on its active roster in Andersen, Kaden Elliss and fifth-round rookie J.D. Bertrand, who's only played special teams through the first two weeks.

Tuesday's practice squad signing of linebacker Josh Woods added depth, but the Falcons appear content with the short-term makeup of their room without Landman.

"Got a lot of confidence in those three guys to go out there and execute what we need to get done in order to allow Landman to get back and be ready to play for us when he gets healthy," Morris said.

In the meantime, Andersen will play extensively next to Elliss. It's the opposite of last year, when Andersen entered the season as a starting linebacker, succumbed to a pectoral injury in Week 3 and missed the remainder of the year. Landman started the final 14 games in his place.

But for Elliss, the constant flux around him isn't much of a challenge -- especially considering the skill levels of Andersen and Landman.

"I think because we're such a close-knit group, we know each other so well, and because they're both such great players, it's really not too hard," Elliss said. "I may have to play a little bit of a different position every now and then.

"But at the end of the day, I'm still playing next to a great player, great friend and someone who knows the defense inside and out. So, it helps me a lot."

Elliss and Andersen -- with Landman watching from the sideline -- return to action at 8:20 p.m. Sunday when the Falcons host the Kansas City Chiefs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.