The Falcons are getting a boost on defense right before kickoff at Lambeau Field.
Billy Bowman Jr. is set to return for Atlanta’s Thursday night matchup with the Packers, giving the secondary a much-needed addition as the team tries to steady itself in Week 3. Bowman’s comeback matters even more with cornerback AJ Terrell Jr. on injured reserve because of a groin injury.
Bowman’s path back has been a long one. He’s coming off a ruptured Achilles suffered during a team walkthrough last November, and he was cleared in August before the regular season began.
Still, the second-year cornerback and 2025 fourth-round NFL Draft pick was working to regain full confidence in the leg. As a rookie, he logged 26 tackles, 15 solo stops, two pass deflections, an interception, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble across six games.
Atlanta also activated outside linebacker Bralen Trice through a standard practice elevation.
The biggest inactive list, though, centers on the quarterback room. Cooper Rush will not play after struggling in Atlanta’s Week 1 and Week 2 losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, he’ll serve as the emergency third quarterback, while Michael Penix Jr. returns from a partially torn left ACL to start. Tua Tagovailoa is listed as the backup.
Rookie quarterback Jack Strand is also inactive, along with rookie offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa.
On defense, the Falcons will be without defensive end Samson Ebukam and defensive backs Malcolm DeWalt IV and Robert Longerbeam.
Falcons-Packers gets underway at 8:15 p.m. from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with Amazon Prime carrying the game. It’s Atlanta’s first of three straight primetime appearances.
The Falcons’ most recent trip to Lambeau ended in a 30-16 loss in November 2020. The last meeting between these teams came in Atlanta, where the Falcons edged out a 25-24 win in September 2023.
For this one, the Falcons on SI staff is split. Darius Hayes, Scott Kennedy, and Garrett Chapman are backing Green Bay, while Jerry Jones and Gerald Thomas III picked Atlanta to win.
In Other News...
Bijan Robinson Suddenly Has A Rare Falcons Milestone In Reach
Bijan Robinsons name has already become central to the Falcons offense, and now it sits next to a piece of team history that would be unusual even by Atlanta standards. Amid a run of recent NFL milestones around the league, Robinson has given the Falcons something more immediate to watch in Week 3: the possibility of a running back reaching a franchise mark that has been on the books for years.
It is the kind of threshold that says as much about how the offense is using him as it does about Robinsons own versatility. For Atlanta, the larger point is not just that he is piling up touches, but that he is being put in position to leave a mark in a category not often associated with backs. The record is there, the opportunity is there, and now the Falcons have one more reason to pay close attention when the ball gets near the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Londons Frustration Puts Falcons Quarterback Decision Under A Spotlight
Drake Londons body language told the story during a recent Falcons game, when the receiver was seen yelling and pointing on the sideline as Atlanta struggled to find a rhythm on offense. It has not been the start London or the Falcons wanted, with the third-year pass catcher working through two games alongside backup quarterbacks and producing 6 receptions for 80 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. looms over the conversation because the pairing has already shown real promise when given time together. In 14 games with Penix, London has piled up 91 catches for 1,286 yards and 9 touchdowns, a track record that makes the quarterback decision feel even more important as Atlanta tries to stabilize its passing game and keep one of its top weapons engaged. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Face An Ugly Reality Entering Packers Matchup
The Falcons head into their Week 3 trip to Green Bay already carrying the kind of concerns that can make a road game feel even longer. The Packers bring the cleaner roster and the steadier quarterback situation, while Atlanta is still trying to find reliable play under center and across the board, two issues that have already shaped the early part of the 2026 season.
For Atlanta, the matchup is less about matching the Packers punch for punch and more about avoiding another lopsided afternoon that deepens the pressure around the team. Green Bay is being forecast to handle this one comfortably, which leaves the Falcons with an ugly reality in front of them and a chance to show some progress in a spot where the margin for error looks thin. [Read more 🡒]