After years of setbacks, Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Jalen Dalton finally appeared poised to get his chance to shine ... but he'll have to wait at least another week.
Dealing with a toe injury, Dalton was a limited participant in practice Wednesday before being absent Thursday and Friday.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith confirmed following Friday's practice that Dalton is "doubtful" for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders.
It's a difficult turn of events for the 25-year-old Dalton, who's battled injuries throughout his career, including one in the preseason that led to him being waived despite a strong training camp.
He returned to Atlanta midseason, making his NFL debut in the Week 8 victory over the Carolina Panthers, a significant accomplishment after initially entering the league in 2019.
Dalton saw the most extensive action of his career last week against the Chicago Bears, playing nearly 50 percent of the defensive snaps in place of the injured Ta'Quon Graham and drawing praise from Smith in the process.
"He had a big part of the way we were rushing," Smith said. "He's gotten better. Unfortunately, he was hurt in a couple preseasons. Knew a lot about him when he was a North Carolina guy. He's taken advantage of the opportunity, unfortunately got hurt in our preseason, came back. First time he's seen live action and he's getting better every week."
With Graham put on injured reserve, Dalton was set to see his role continue to rise, but his toe injury potentially negates that opportunity. Timmy Horne and Abdullah Anderson are in line to see additional snaps in his place.
The Falcons and Commanders are set to kick off at 1 p.m. inside FedEx Field.
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