FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Better late than never.
Linebacker Troy Andersen was designated to return from injured reserve, the Atlanta Falcons announced Wednesday. Andersen practiced that same afternoon.
Andersen was placed on injured reserve back on Sept. 26, 2023. He sustained a shoulder/pectoral injury during the fourth quarter of the Falcons' Week 3 road loss to the Detroit Lions the Sunday prior to that Tuesday transaction.
Now that Andersen's 21-day window is open, he must either be activated to the 53-man roster or placed on season-ending injured reserve by the end of the three-week period. Andersen could also be released before the deadline.
The 21-day window may be a moot point since this move comes as the Falcons prepare for their regular-season finale. The only confirmed game left on the Falcons' 2023 schedule is Sunday's Week 18 contest with the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. CBS will carry the live coverage.
If the Falcons win and the Carolina Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though, the Atlanta is playoff bound.
Andersen is in his second season with the Falcons after getting drafted by the organization in 2022 with a second-round pick out of Montana State. He played in 17 games as a rookie, starting five. He finished with 69 total tackles, three of which were for a loss, along with a pass breakup and forced fumble.
Prior to his injury, three games into the 2023 season, Andersen only got one full four-quarter performance under his belt with the Week 1 win over the Panthers. He had 10 tackles and a sack assist. Andersen then missed the Falcons' Week 2 win against the Green Bay Packers while in concussion protocol. And before he went down in Detroit, Andersen had made nine tackles against the Lions.
Nate Landman has stepped up in Andersen's absence, filling in alongside starting inside linebacker Kaden Elliss.
