Falcons Coach Arthur Smith 'Excited' for CB Bless Austin

Bless Austin signed with the Atlanta Falcons, a move that makes coach Arthur Smith happy.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 15, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are adding depth to their secondary with the addition of cornerback Bless Austin, who signed with the team over the weekend.

Austin, 27, was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Jets in 2019 and played 18 games with the team in his first two NFL seasons. In 2021, he appeared in 11 games for the Seattle Seahawks.

Last year, Austin was cut by the Denver Broncos before the season began and never caught on to a new home ... until now with the Falcons.

“Sometimes it’s unfortunate when somebody may get injured, and there’s another opportunity for a guy like Bless, who’s been in the league," coach Arthur Smith said. "He came in here and worked out, tried out. He came to [rookie] minicamp and we have some crossover with him and a couple of our coaches. It was just like Godwin [Igwebuike] when he got in here. I’m excited to see him compete.”

Austin's signing comes after injuries to Jeff Okudah and Clark Phillips III, who were both added this offseason via trade and the draft.

Training camp is all about building opportunity and competition for everyone in the room. Austin still faces an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, but he was brought in to not only make himself better but the other players around him.

Austin will have a chance to make his preseason debut Friday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Published Aug 15, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.