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Raheem Morris provides very positive injury update on Falcons rookie Jalon Walker

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 5:51 PM ET

The Falcons are dealing with numerous injuries heading into their Week 1 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The most notable of the bunch is Kaleb McGary, who was lost for the season. His absence will be difficult to overcome, especially since his backup, Storm Norton, is also out for the foreseeable future with an ankle injury that recently required surgery.

Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney is listed as day-to-day as he recovers from a shoulder injury he suffered on the first day of training camp. He’s questionable going into Sunday, according to Raheem Morris. However, the Falcons head coach did provide some very positive news on the progression of Jalon Walker, who is expected to play against the Bucs.

#Falcons coach Raheem Morris said all of four rookies are on track to play vs. the #Bucs (Jalon Walker, James Pearce, Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr.)

— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) September 1, 2025

Jalon Walker has dealt with multiple minor muscle injuries leading up to the season, which has caused him to miss most of training camp and the preseason. It’s put him behind the eight-ball a bit, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Falcons plan to utilize him from the jump, but they are going to have a ton of new faces flying around come Sunday.

In the secondary, Xavier Watts (safety) and Billy Bowman Jr. (nickel) both won their respective position battles. They’ll be starting, and the expectation is James Pearce Jr. will have a massive role after a really impressive offseason. That’s four rookies potentially starting early on, which is a terrific sign for Terry Fontenot, who has really had trouble drafting on that side of the ball since taking over as the Falcons GM.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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