The Falcons placed Ruke Orhorhoro on injured reserve and signed Rashaan Evans

The Atlanta Falcons are trending towards better health, with players like Justin Simmons returning and both Chris Lindstrom and Drew Dalman listed as questionable, but they still suffered a major setback on Friday.

That would be the loss of Ruke Orhorhoro, the promising young defensive lineman who had gained more snaps and trust from the coaching staff since his debut a few weeks ago. Orhorhoro left early in the second game against the Buccaneers and was ruled out; Now we know he is headed to injured reserve.

Orhorhoro's absence hurts a defensive line that was demonstrably better with him; We may see fellow rookie Brandon Dorlus on his shelf for the first time in the next few weeks. Players like Ta'Quon Graham and Zachary Harrison should also see their playing time increase accordingly, and both players are capable of filling in. We'll miss Orhorhoro's real-time development, and we'll miss his promising ability to work against opposing running backs.

The corresponding step is also interesting. Rashaan Evans has been floating around as a capable linebacker on the practice squad, and now he'll be used with JD Bertrand out for Week 9 with a concussion. With Kaden Elliss struggling a bit, Nate Landman appearing to be less than 100% in his comeback, and Troy Andersen still listed as questionable for Sunday's game, the Falcons may have to resort to Evans on Sunday. We hope he's ready if so, but he's definitely familiar with the franchise, having already served as a full-time starter in 2022.

We hope Orhorhoro recovers quickly enough to return this season and we hope for a win on Sunday against the Cowboys.