There is a possibility that Atlanta Falcons linebacker Divine Deablo could return for the team’s Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Raheem Morris stated on Monday that Deablo will be designated to return from injured reserve.
“Assuming everything goes well,” Morris said, “he should be back playing.”
The official transaction has not yet been completed. Once processed, the Falcons will have 21 days to activate Deablo or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
Deablo was placed on injured reserve in Week 8 after fracturing his left forearm during the second quarter of the team’s Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He joined Atlanta during the offseason and quickly became an important part of their defense. In his first six games, he contributed to a sack, recovered a fumble, broke up four passes, and made 24 tackles.
Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich commented on how they have tried to fill Deablo’s absence: “It’s going to be a kind of replace him by committee a little bit,” Ulbrich said after Deablo was placed on injured reserve. “Because as we all know, he’s very unique in the fact that from an athletic profile standpoint, he’s very DB-ish; from a size standpoint, he’s very linebacker-ish. So, we’re going to replace him with that, with some DBs at times, and we’ll replace him with some linebacker at times.”
JD Bertrand and Ronnie Harrison have mainly filled in for Deablo since his injury. Bertrand initially took most of the reps while Harrison’s role has grown recently.
“We played some really good ball with JD,” Morris said. “But Ronnie has really earned more reps and more role, and it’s kind of been increased since he’s been here. A lot of credit to Ronnie, a man that’s come here with us from training camp and really increased his role from a practice squad player to a special teams player to now being out there with that first-team defense in some situations. The way he’s playing, it’s going to do nothing else but increase.”
The potential return of Deablo comes as other injuries impact Atlanta’s roster: quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been moved to injured reserve and wide receiver Drake London is considered week-to-week.
Morris also praised Deablo earlier this season: “I don’t know if he gets enough credit,” Morris said in Week 6, “for being as good a linebacker as he’s been in this National Football League.”
