Atlanta Falcons Provide Troy Andersen Injury Update

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen had arguably the best game of his professional career on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, but it ended in injury.

Troy Andersen had 17 tackles and an interception for a touchdown in the Atlanta Falcons 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' already thin linebacker room took another hit late in Sunday’s 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen, who was in the midst of the most productive game of his young career, was helped off the field after suffering a knee injury on a special teams late in the fourth quarter.

Andersen was officially ruled questionable to return but did not play on Atlanta’s final defensive drive. He was still in the team’s medical examination room 45 minutes after the game’s conclusion.

The initial diagnosis on Andersen’s injury appears positive for his long-term outlook but negative for his likelihood of playing Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Troy is day to day,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told reporters Monday morning. “Obviously, short week. He’s hurting pretty good and we’ll see where he goes this week and what he can do for us.”

Andersen had a career-high 17 tackles along with an interception, which he returned 47 yards for a touchdown, the first of his NFL career.

May we interest you in another @troy_andersen pick-six highlight?https://t.co/4yVnQQsWkZ pic.twitter.com/Kj1dw0ihDz

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 30, 2024

Taking over the starting role in place of Landman, Andersen has produced at a high level in the middle of Atlanta’s defense. He had 12 tackles in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and his performance Sunday gave him back-to-back double-digit tackle games for the first time in his three-year career.

Andersen’s 17 tackles are the most of any Falcons player this season, while his pick-six was the first by an Atlanta linebacker since Lorenzo Carter secured one Oct. 30, 2022.

Without having seen the film, Morris said postgame he liked the way Andersen played.

“The guy was flying around, making a bunch of plays, making a bunch of tackles,” Morris said Sunday. “He plays with tremendous speed. He plays with a tremendous violence that we love, and he got it done for us. It was awesome.”

But Atlanta may be without the fast, violent Andersen when it kicks off against the Buccaneers at 8:15 p.m. Thursday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.