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Falcons Confirm Season-Ending Injury to Former First-Round Pick
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jalon Walker will miss the entirety of 2026.
Walker, who was carted off the field at the end of practice on Tuesday, had imaging confirm the worst case scenario on Wednesday -- the former first-round pick did suffer a torn ACL in his left leg and will be placed on season-ending injured reserve on Thursday.
"When he comes in the room, we feel it," Falcons outside linebacker coach John Timu told local media on Wednesday . "... It's a huge loss."
Walker went down during an 11-on-11 play late in practice and was immediately attended to by trainers before being carted off, with practice immediately being cancelled by head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Walker finished with 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery during his rookie season, with his 27 pressures ranking as the seventh-most among rookies last season and his 10.3% pressure rate ranking fourth, according to Next Gen Stats.
"I know that he's a strong individual," quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said on Wednesday. "He's going to get through it."
The Falcons will now need to receive better production out of the likes of Azeez Ojulari, Cameron Thomas, Zach Harrison, and James Pearce Jr. -- four players who combined for 17.5 sacks in 2025. Pearce is no sure thing despite accounting for double-digit sacks as a rookie, as he was arrested on a domestic violence charge this offseason and could be suspended for an undetermined period of time if the league considers what he did a violation of the its personal conduct policy.
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