Injury Bug Bites Again: Falcons Lose Three Key Defenders for Remainder of 2025 Season
The Atlanta Falcons’ 2025 season has been defined as much by who hasn’t been on the field as who has. From the jump, this team has been in survival mode-Darnell Mooney went down in training camp, all three starting cornerbacks have missed time, Drake London has been sidelined for a month, and Michael Penix Jr. suffered another devastating ACL tear.
Now, the Falcons are officially shutting down three more defenders for the year: linebacker Troy Andersen, defensive lineman Zach Harrison, and edge rusher Bralen Trice. Head coach Raheem Morris confirmed the trio won’t return this season, with three games still left on the schedule.
It’s a tough blow for a defense that’s had flashes of promise but has struggled to stay healthy or consistent. And for each of these players, the ending comes with its own layer of frustration.
Zach Harrison: A Breakout Season Cut Short
Let’s start with Zach Harrison, who was quietly putting together a breakout campaign before a knee injury derailed it. The 2023 third-round pick out of Ohio State had been a bit of a slow burn since entering the league, but this year, he started to heat up.
Through just seven games, Harrison posted career highs in sacks (4.5), tackles for loss (5), and forced fumbles (2). He was finally showing the kind of disruptive presence the Falcons hoped for when they drafted him-long, powerful, and with a motor that didn’t quit.
Unfortunately, that progress hit a wall when he aggravated the same knee that had given him trouble earlier in his career. For a player who had just started to find his groove, it’s a brutal way to end the season.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Harrison has shown he can be a difference-maker. The challenge now is getting back healthy and building on what he started.
Troy Andersen: Talent That Just Can’t Stay on the Field
Then there’s Troy Andersen-a player who has flashed star-level potential when healthy, but that’s been far too rare. Since being drafted in the second round back in 2022, Andersen has battled a laundry list of injuries: pectoral, head, knee-you name it. After a rookie season where he saw limited snaps but stayed mostly healthy, things have gone downhill fast.
He’s played in just nine of a possible 51 games by the time this season wraps, and he won’t have logged a single snap in 2025. That’s tough to stomach for any player, but especially for one who showed such promise when he was on the field. Just last season, he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for a dominant performance against the Saints-a game he didn’t even finish due to injury.
Andersen is set to hit free agency this offseason. And while durability is a massive question mark, the upside remains tantalizing.
If a team can keep him on the field, they might be getting a dynamic, sideline-to-sideline linebacker with game-changing athleticism. That’s a big “if,” but the talent is undeniable.
And yes, for those keeping score at home, Andersen was the primary return in the Julio Jones trade. That adds another layer of disappointment to his injury-plagued run in Atlanta.
Bralen Trice: Waiting for a Debut That Hasn’t Come
Finally, there’s Bralen Trice-a name Falcons fans were excited about when he was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft. But so far, his NFL career has been stuck in neutral.
Trice tore his ACL in his very first preseason game, wiping out his entire rookie year. Then, just as he was working his way back, he re-injured the same knee ahead of this season.
That means Trice will head into his third NFL season without having played a single regular-season snap. It’s a tough situation for any young player, especially one with his physical tools and pass-rushing upside. The Falcons are hopeful he can finally get healthy this offseason, but at this point, it’s fair to wonder how much more time he’ll need before he’s truly ready to contribute.
Looking Ahead
There’s no sugarcoating it-this is a rough stretch for Atlanta’s defense. Losing three young, talented defenders in a season already marred by injuries is a gut punch. But in each case, there’s still reason to hold onto hope.
Harrison showed he can be a force up front. Andersen, if healthy, has the skillset to be a top-tier linebacker. And Trice, though unproven, has the kind of pass-rushing potential teams covet.
The Falcons have three games left in a season that’s been defined by attrition. The focus now shifts to 2026-and for these three defenders, the offseason will be all about recovery, resilience, and proving they can be part of the long-term solution in Atlanta.