The Atlanta Falcons placed defensive end Samson Ebukam on injured reserve Tuesday, Nov. 3, with a hamstring injury, the team announced. The move means Ebukam will miss at least four games.
He got hurt in Sunday’s 16-0 loss to Tampa Bay. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Ebukam and receiver Zachariah Branch were both dealing with hamstring injuries after leaving that game, and that neither would play Sunday against Cincinnati in Madrid, according to The Associated Press.
What Atlanta loses
Ebukam signed with Atlanta this offseason to add depth on the edge, and he’d become a steady part of the rush. Through seven games he had 11 tackles, two for loss, 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. Nine hits in seven games works out to more than one a week, which is real pressure from a player brought in as depth.
The Falcons made two smaller moves alongside it. They signed defensive end Drake Jackson to the practice squad and released offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal from the practice squad to make room, On SI reported. Jackson, a former 49er, gives them another body at the position if they need to elevate someone for game day.
Next up is the trip to Spain to face the Bengals, and Atlanta will make it without one of its edge rushers and one of its receivers.
Why it matters
Here’s McGraw Media’s read. A team that just got shut out can’t afford to give up much on the other side of the ball, and losing Ebukam’s pressure makes that harder. Four games is the minimum, not a promise, and nobody has put a firmer timeline on it. For now, Stefanski has to find those snaps on the edge from what’s already in the building, or from what he can add before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
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