FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones is eligible to come off of injured reserve and rejoin the active roster this week for the first time since he was placed on IR after suffering a foot injury in Week 1, but the Falcons will continue to proceed methodically in regards to his status.
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"We'll be staying with the same format that we had last week," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "As we go through the week, we'll take it step by step and see where he's at. Too early to make a prediction of where he could be. I know he's eligible to be back this week, that doesn't mean he's ready to. We're going to put him out there when he's 100-percent ready."
Jones has missed eight games since going on IR, as is required by NFL policy, which means he is eligible to play this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys. But as Quinn said, it appears the Falcons aren't going off of any set timeline but rather basing their decision on Jones' health and performance in practice.
Jones began practicing last week, and the NFL does have a 21-day policy that requires a team to activate a player off of IR within 21 days of him resuming practice activities with the team. Since the Falcons drafted Jones in 2016, the linebacker has recorded 253 tackles, 23 pass defenses, seven interceptions and two touchdowns. He was named to his first Pro Bowl after the 2017 season.
