CBS Sports: Amidst several roster changes, Falcons’ star defender returns from injury

Prior to their matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons, led by starting linebacker Nate Landman, added three men to their roster.

Prior to their matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons have made a number of personnel changes.

Nate Landman, a linebacker for Atlanta, was placed on injured reserve after missing four weeks due to quad and calf strains he sustained early in the season. Before going on injured reserve in Week 1, Landman began and participated in 37 plays. He’s back in the group now.

The two practice squad upgrades for Atlanta, center Matt Hennessy and cornerback Kevin King, will be joining Landman on the field on Sunday.

King signed back onto the practice squad on Saturday after being cut by the Falcons on Friday, and he will play on Sunday. After joining the active roster prior to Week 2 and beginning the season on the practice squad, he has played in all five of Atlanta’s games.

King still has one promotion to the practice squad, and Hennessy, who will play on Sunday for the third time in a row, has used up all of the call-ups that the league allows.

However, linebacker Rashaan Evans, who signed to the practice squad on September 30, and was the team’s top tackler in 2022, was released, which came with Atlanta’s roster acquisitions.

The Falcons believed they no longer needed Evans to provide depth in the center of their defense when they brought back Landman. Only Landman, Kaden Elliss, and rookie JD Bertrand are healthy linebackers for Atlanta; Troy Andersen will sit out Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

Sunday’s game between the Panthers (1-4) and Falcons (3-2) will begin at 4:25 p.m. in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.