Skip to main content
Advertising

Drew Dalman placed on IR; Falcons sign former starter off practice squad

On Tuesday, the Falcons placed center Drew Dalman on injured reserve and signed an offensive lineman with starting experience to the active roster.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Center Drew Dalman has been placed on injured reserve, the Atlanta Falcons announced Tuesday.

In turn, the Falcons signed veteran offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson from the practice squad to the active roster.

Dalman sustained an ankle injury during the second quarter of the Falcons' Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. It happened on a first-and-10 play in which running back Bijan Robinson rushed to the left end for 2 yards.

Ryan Neuzil replaced Dalman at center for the remainder of the game. Dalman played 19 offensive snaps (31%), while Neuzil took the other 42 (69%).

The Falcons drafted Dalman in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He appeared in all 17 games as a rookie and has started 34 games for Atlanta since the 2022 season.

The loss of Dalman is a hit to an offensive line that returned all its starters from 2023.

Untitled 16_9 Landscape (18)

Wilkinson, meanwhile, has been in the NFL since 2017. He actually played for the Falcons in 2022, starting nine games before landing on injured reserve himself. In total, Wilkinson has appeared in 77 games and started 45. He has played on the right and left side at both guard and tackle.

In addition to the Dalman and Wilkinson moves, the Falcons signed offensive lineman Matt Hennessy to the practice squad. Hennessy was a former third-round draft pick for the Falcons in 2020, and he was most recently with the Philadelphia Eagles.

These transactions come in Week 4 as the Falcons prepare to host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Related Content

Advertising