FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons announced Friday that rookie defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro is going on the reserve/injured list. In a corresponding move, the Falcons are signing veteran linebacker Rashaan Evans to the 53-man roster.
Orhorhoro injured his ankle during the team's 31-26 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and he did not participate in any of the Falcons' practice throughout the week. Atlanta selected Orhorhoro in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has played the second-most snaps among the team's rookies so far this season. His first game action took place against the Buccaneers in Week 5, and he saw time in each game following. This season, Orhorhoro has five tackles and a quarterback hit.
"He was making life hell on our starting offensive line, that's what he was doing," Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said when asked prior to the Week 8 game what Orhorhoro had done to begin earning playing time. "He was in the backfield. He was shock-locking, sending the offensive line back in the backfield, our starting offensive line. And so, he wasn't doing it every single play, but it was showing up enough where if you're doing against our starting offensive line, that's probably going to translate over to our opponent in a real game. And it certainly has."
The addition to Evans to the 53-man roster gives Atlanta more depth at the inside linebacker position, which has been afflicted by injuries this season. Rookie linebacker JD Bertrand has already been ruled out for Sunday's game due to a concussion, and starter Troy Andersen is questionable after missing the previous four games due to a knee injury.
A former first-round pick for the Tennessee Titans in 2018, Evans previously joined the Falcons prior to the 2022 season and started all 17 games at inside linebacker that season. He led Atlanta with a career-high 159 tackles, which ranked sixth among all NFL defenders, and also had six tackles for a loss, four pass breakups, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.
The Falcons will face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, and all information about how to watch the game can be found here.
