Falcons declare three players out for the season

Of the three, Zach Harrison was the only one to appear in a game this season and was in the midst of a career year, recording 4.5 sacks in just seven games. He proved to be a huge part of the Falcons’ revamped pass rush and will surely play a significant role entering his fourth season next year.

Trice and Andersen never appeared this season, both of which are disappointing developments for their respective careers. Trice has now missed his first two full seasons, all stemming from the ACL injury he suffered during the first preseason game last year. Hopefully, he can come back stronger and make an impact in year three, but with a much-improved pass rush, it’s going to be difficult for him to earn snaps off the edge.

Andersen’s situation is even more discouraging, also stemming from a knee injury that cost him most of last season. The Falcons held out hope that he might eventually return this year, but now it appears his time in Atlanta could be finished. He’s set to become a free agent this offseason, and frankly, there have to be questions about whether he ever plays in the NFL again due to this prolonged ordeal.

Andersen was a second-round pick by the Falcons in 2022 and was named a full-time starter the following season, but injuries have limited him to just nine games over the last three years. It’s disappointing because when he was on the field, he was starting to become a major contributor to what the Falcons were building on defense. Now, his entire career is in limbo heading into the offseason.