FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons updated one player's status and added another player's name to their game report for Sunday's Week 14 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
Defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro's status was downgraded from questionable Friday to out Saturday. Orhorhoro is recovering from an ankle injury that he sustained during the Falcons' Week 8 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 1, the Friday after the victory. He was designated to return this week, returning to practice Wednesday and officially opening his 21-day window.
Orhorhoro is the Falcons' second-round draft pick and has appeared in four games as a rookie. He has taken 63 defensive snaps and 19 special teams snaps, making five tackles in the process.
Wide receiver Casey Washington was also ruled out Saturday with a concussion. Washington is one of the Falcons' sixth-round draft picks and has appeared in eight games as a rookie. He has taken nine offensive snaps and 47 special teams snaps. He caught one pass for 14 yards in the Falcons' Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
In addition to those two moves, the Falcons announced wide receiver Chris Blair is their Week 14 standard practice elevation. This marks his third elevation this season.
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, meaning Blair cannot be used as a standard practice squad elevation again in 2024.
Blair took six special teams snaps in the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also elevated for the Falcons' Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints but did not see any playing time.
The Falcons-Vikings game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. FOX will carry live coverage.
Previous 2024 practice squad elevations include:
- Week 1: cornerback Kevin King and Blair
- Week 2: safety Dane Cruikshank
- Week 3: none
- Week 4: offensive lineman Matt Hennessy
- Week 5: inside linebacker Josh Woods and Hennessy
- Week 6: Hennessy and King
- Week 7: cornerback Natrone Brooks and defensive lineman Demone Harris
- Week 8: Harris and Brooks
- Week 9: Harris and Brooks
- Week 10: outside linebacker Khalid Kareem and Blair
- Week 11: Cruikshank and Kareem
- Week 12: Bye
- Week 13: Woods and kicker Riley Patterson
