Falcons Place Defender on IR, Sign LB ahead of Cowboys Clash

The Atlanta Falcons have made a series of moves to shore up their defensive depth ahead of their game with the Dallas Cowboys.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Rashaan Evans led the team in tackles in 2022. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Ankle injuries that are bad enough to hobble an NFL defensive lineman are typically four-to-six weeks in recovery. Whether it's a high-ankle sprain or a break, a month is typically best-case scenario.

That appears to be the case with Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro who was placed on injured reserve the team announced on Friday afternoon. Orhorhoro was brought along slowly by the Falcons staff. He was a healthy scratch the first-four weeks of the season.

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However, once he was given action on the defensive line, he was getting snaps in crucial situations including red-zone defensive packages. Orhorhoro injured his ankle in last week's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was ruled "out" before the game was over, leading to speculation on the seriousness of the damage done to his ankle.

He had five tackles including a rare Falcons quarterback hit in his 63 snaps across four games before being placed on injured reserve. Orhorhoro must miss at least four games before he is eligible to return. Atlanta mixes in a bye week after their next-three contests, so he won't be eligible to return until December 8th against the Minnesota Vikings.

There's speculation that fellow rookie Brandon Dorlus, the Falcons' fourth-round pick out of Oregon, could see his first action. Like Orhorhoro's first-four weeks, Dorlus has been inactive for every game this year. However, it's more likely that veteran Kentavious Street gets the call. Street has been inactive on game days the last few weeks that Orhorhoro has been active.

While Orhorhoro will be missed in the Falcons defensive line rotation, the Cowboys have bigger-injury issues. Dallas ruled out All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback DaRon Bland.

The Falcons also announced they had signed linebacker Rashaan Evans to the 53-man squad. Evans was with Atlanta and led the Falcons with 159 tackles in 2022, however he was not re-signed in 2023. He bounced around the league last year including a nine-game stint with the Cowboys, registering nine tackles.

Evans has yo-yo'd on and off the Falcons' practice squad the last month, but with the injury to rookie linebacker JD Bertrand and Troy Andersen still questionable, Evans should get a chance to play on Sunday.

The Falcons take on the Cowboys at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Cowboys are 3-4 on the season and sport the league's No. 22 scoring offense and No. 31 scoring defense. ESPN considers the Falcons a 3.5-point favorite.

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