The Atlanta Falcons lost rookie third-round pick Bralen Trice for the season after he got helped off the field in Atlanta’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, the team announced today.
In addition to Trice, the team also placed CB Harrison Hand on IR, which means that both will miss the season and not play against the Steelers in Week 1.
A third-round pick out of Washington, Trice was expected to play a key role as a rotational pass rusher for the Falcons this season. With him now out for the season, Atlanta is going to rely more heavily on Zach Harrison and Arnold Ebiketie this season. Versatile rookie Brandon Dorlus could also play a bigger role although he may work more on the interior while Trice was expected to be an edge rusher for the Falcons.
Trice had 16 sacks over the last two seasons at Washington, registering nine in 2022 and seven in 2023 as the Huskies made a run to the College Football Playoff Championship, where they lost to Michigan.
With Hand out, former Cardinals CB Antonio Hamilton and CB Kevin King, who unretired to join Atlanta, will have more prominent roles. Prior to joining Atlanta, Hand had stints with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. In 27 NFL games, he has 34 tackles and an interception.
Atlanta has suffered a few major injuries during training camp, with WR Rondale Moore also out for the season due to a lower-body injury. It won’t be the same team taking on Pittsburgh Week 1 as it looked like heading into camp, and the Falcons are going to need some guys to step up with their wave of season-ending injuries.
