The Atlanta Falcons are aiming for their first winning season in a while this year. Their defense appears to be reloaded in the spots that needed help, and the offense looks as exciting as it has in recent years. The defense will be young, but much depends on strong mentorship.
“Bates' mentorship is crucial for the Falcons, who will likely field a very young defense in 2025. Walker and fellow pass rusher James Pearce Jr. were both first-round picks in April and will likely see a lot of playing time as rookies. The Falcons also drafted Watts and Billy Bowman Jr., a fourth-round pick who played safety in college and will play nickel corner in Atlanta,” ESPN’s Marc Raimondi wrote.
On Thursday, the Falcons defense suffered a setback as one of their young players was ruled out for the start of the season.
“The Falcons have placed EDGE Bralen Trice on IR, per the team,” Raimondi posted.
This is a significant blow for Atlanta, as Trice was expected to see the field regularly.
“He was an active part of the Falcons' defensive line rotation throughout camp. Though he did not play in the team's first preseason game of 2025, he did see a little action in Week 2 of the preseason against the Tennessee Titans and then again in Week 3's preseason finale in Dallas,” reporter Tori McElhaney wrote.
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This is terrible news not only for the Falcons but also for Trice, who missed all of last season recovering from an ACL injury. While he was progressing well during camp, this new injury means it will be even longer before he plays in his first regular-season game.
The Falcons will be cautious with Trice, but they want him back on the field as soon as possible. He is a key part of the Falcons’ young core looking to prove themselves. For Trice, the earliest possible return would be Week 5 of the season.