Falcons offensive tackle Storm Norton reverted to season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday, per team reporter Terrin Waack, the primary player within the league to accomplish that this season.
Norton landed on IR with a return designation during final roster cuts after undergoing ankle surgery within the preseason. He returned to practice on October 22 and was a full practice participant instantly. He then re-aggravated the injury the next week and has not practiced since. His 21-day practice window expired on Wednesday, forcing him to look at the remainder of the season from the sidelines.
Head coach Raheem Morris declined to provide details on Norton’s setback, but acknowledged that “it wasn’t great news.”
The Falcons already lost starting right tackle Kaleb McGary for the 12 months after he suffered a leg injury in training camp. That was a serious loss for Atlanta’s offensive line, especially considering McGary’s job to guard left-handed quarterback Michael Penix‘s blind side. The team has relied on Elijah Wilkinson to fill McGary’s spot, but he has allowed 30 pressures, the fifth-most amongst all offensive tackles this season, based on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Norton wouldn’t necessarily have been an upgrade. His only full 12 months as a starter got here in 2021 for the Chargers, when he allowed 59 pressures, the second-most by an offensive tackle that season and the third-most in a single season since 2019. Since then, he has only began 4 games, though he still could have pushed Wilkinson for his job.
Atlanta also placed fourth-year linebacker DeAngelo Malone on IR on Wednesday. He suffered a broken ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Colts and underwent surgery on Monday. Malone will miss a minimum of 4 games, but his absence may very well be longer, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Structure. The 2022 third-round pick is a core special teams contributor who has not had greater than a peripheral role on defense since his rookie 12 months.
In other Falcons news, linebacker Malik Verdon was designated to return from the non-football injury list. The team signed the previous Iowa State safety as an undrafted rookie with the intention of converting him to linebacker in Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense. Verdon played through an arm injury during his last 12 months of school, nevertheless it is unknown if it is expounded to the shoulder issue that landed him on the NFI list in July.
Finally, Atlanta signed safety Jammie Robinson to their practice squad. The 2023 fifth-round pick appeared in 21 games for the Panthers over his first two years, totally on special teams. He was waived before the tip of his second season and has since frolicked with the Cardinals, Chiefs, and Lions, though he has not played this 12 months. He’ll add special teams depth in Atlanta, which can turn out to be useful with Malone sidelined for the foreseeable future.