The Atlanta Falcons got a much-needed defensive update Friday, and it came with Zach Harrison finally moving back toward the field.
After a rough stretch that included the season-ending loss of second-year edge rusher Jalon Walker and the decision to move on from linebacker Troy Andersen, the Falcons announced that Harrison is coming off the Non-Football Injury list and has been cleared to return to practice.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski had already hinted at the possibility earlier in the day, saying Friday morning that he believed Harrison was close. He wasn’t wrong. Harrison had been working on a separate field with Andersen, unable to join team practice while he remained on the NFI list.
For a defense that just took a hit with Walker’s injury, Harrison’s return offers at least a jolt of momentum. It may be more of a mental boost than an immediate physical fix, but it still matters.
Harrison’s comeback also gives him a chance to pick up where he left off before last season ended too soon. He was in the middle of a breakout run, piling up 4.5 sacks in just seven games before a knee injury shut him down after Week 10. That followed a strong finish to his rookie year, when he logged three sacks over his final three games and entered the next season with real buzz.
Instead, a first-time defensive coordinator put him in a 2-4-5 prevent scheme that featured only two defensive tackles and two stand-up edges. Harrison, who fits better as a 3-4 or 4-3 end, never really found a home in that setup.
Jeff Ulbrich’s arrival last season changed that. Harrison got fresh life under Ulbrich, though the injury ended what could have been a true breakout year. Brandon Dorlus thrived in that same three-man front and finished with 8.5 sacks.
Now Harrison is back in position to make his case again. A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, he has watched first-round running back Bijan Robinson and second-round offensive guard Matthew Bergeron land massive contract extensions from that same class.
Harrison is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season, and the path is clear: stay healthy, play all 17 games, and give the Falcons a reason to pay him. He’s flashed plenty already. The next step is doing it every week.
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