FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter has been placed on injured reserve, the Atlanta Falcons announced Saturday.
It was revealed Wednesday that Carter was in the NFL's concussion protocol. Originally, the Falcons reported he did not practice Wednesday due to an illness, but that designation changed to concussion before the end of day. Carter then did not practice Thursday or Friday and was ruled out for Sunday's Week 7 game against the Seattle Seahawks in Friday’s injury report.
Carter started all but last week's win against the Carolina Panthers, when the Falcons started just one outside linebacker (Matthew Judon). Carter totaled 11 tackles, with two quarterback hits, through the first six games. He took 50% of the defensive snaps and 23% of the special teams snaps.
Originally a third-round draft pick for the New York Giants in 2018, Carter joined the Falcons in 2022. He started every game that season, totaling 58 tackles, along with four sacks, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a pick-six. It was arguably Carter's best season, so far, in his career. One of his better marks, though, was five sacks in 2021 for the Giants.
James Smith-Williams will likely fill in for Carter as a starter, considering he is listed as Carter's backup on the latest depth chart. Carter's move to IR could also indicate a larger percentage of snaps going to Arnold Ebiketie, too.
With a spot now open on the 53-man roster, the Falcons signed cornerback Kevin King to the active roster. King has been on either the Falcons' active roster or practice squad all season, appearing in all six games and taking 3% of the defensive snaps and 39% of the special teams snaps. He has made four tackles.
King made his NFL return with the Falcons this offseason after two years away from the sport. He sat out the 2022 season due to personal reasons and the 2023 season due to an injury. Prior to that, King played five seasons for the Green Bay Packers, who drafted him in the second round of 2017. His best year, so far, came in 2019, when he totaled 66 tackles in addition to 15 pass breakups, five interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack.
Along with the active roster moves, the Falcons also announced Saturday that cornerback Natrone Brooks and defensive lineman Demone Harris are their standard practice squad elevations for Week 7. This marks both of their first elevations in 2024.
Brooks has yet to make his NFL debut since joining the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Harris, meanwhile, is looking to make his 15th career game appearance since 2018 and his first game appearance overall since 2022. The Falcons would be the fourth team on his resume. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-19; joined as an undrafted free agent), Kansas City Chiefs (2019-21) and Houston Texans (2021-22). In total, his record includes 11 tackles, two of which were for a loss, and three quarterback hits.
The Falcons-Seahawks game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Previous 2024 practice squad elevations include:
- Week 1: King and wide receiver Chris Blair
- Week 2: safety Dane Cruikshank
- Week 3: none
- Week 4: offensive lineman Matt Hennessy
- Week 5: Hennessy and inside linebacker Josh Woods
- Week 6: Hennessy and King
As a reminder, teams can elevate up to two practice squad players per game. Each player can only be elevated a max of three times. If a fourth time comes up, the player must be signed to the active roster.
