MONDAY, 8:52am: The Falcons have elected not to place Reed on IR with the designation to return after all, according to McClure (Twitter link). The move suggests that the team is confident the linebacker’s recovery time will be shorter than the eight weeks he would’ve been sidelined had he landed on IR-DTR.
SUNDAY, 3:34pm: The Falcons will place linebacker Brooks Reed on injured reserve with a designation to return, sources tell Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Reed won’t be eligible to practice for six weeks, and can’t return to game action until Atlanta’s ninth game.
Reed, 28, underwent groin surgery last week to repair an injury that he suffered in August during training camp. His recovery time was listed as six weeks, so by going on IR-DTR, he’ll get the time he needs plus a few extra weeks to heal. Per McClure, veteran Kroy Biermann is expected to replace Reed in the team’s base defense.
The Falcons signed Reed, who had spent the entirety of his career with the Texans, to a four-year, $22MM deal during the offseason. He was one of several additions, including Adrian Clayborn, Justin Durant, and draft picks Vic Beasley and Jalen Collins, that was expected to turn around Atlanta’s defense under new head coach Dan Quinn.
I’m sorry, this guy has been dealing with a groin injury since we signed him/all summer. Why the f*ck he didnt have surgery in late July? I support the new coaching staff but someone dropped the damn ball here.