The Falcons will be without two key pieces when they meet the Bengals in Madrid on Sunday, as head coach Kevin Stefanski ruled out wide receiver Zachariah Branch and edge rusher Samson Ebukam for Week 9.
Branch left the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a hamstring injury and never returned. The rookie has not yet found a true offensive role, but he has handled Atlanta’s kick and punt return work when healthy this season. With Branch sidelined, the Falcons are expected to lean on veteran wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in the return game.
Ebukam is also dealing with a hamstring issue. He played against Tampa Bay, but he will not make the trip to Spain. The veteran pass rusher is second on the team with 2.5 sacks this season.
"That's going to keep them out of this game," Stefanski said of Ebukam and Branch. "Not sure, long term, how many games those types of injuries will be, but we'll obviously treat those and then see how it goes over the next couple of weeks."
With those two out, Atlanta will need more from Za'Darius Smith and Cameron Thomas off the edge. There’s also a chance James Pearce Jr. could be back in the mix after serving his eight-game suspension. The Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist is eligible to return this week, and he led the team with 10.5 sacks in 2025, the most among all rookies last season.
Pearce may need a little time to get back up to speed, but the Falcons could use every bit of help they can get trying to slow down Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ explosive offense.
In Other News...
Falcons Head To Madrid With New Concerns And A Possible Boost
The Falcons are heading into their trip to Madrid still trying to shake off a strange 16-0 loss to Tampa Bay, one that stood out even by the standards of an off day. Atlanta did not allow a completed pass and still came away empty, a reminder that the defense did enough in one area but the offense never found a way to turn the game into anything manageable.
Kevin Stefanski said the injury picture is not getting cleaner before the matchup with Cincinnati, with Samson Ebukam and Zachariah Branch both unavailable because of hamstring issues. There is at least one potential lift on the horizon, though, as James Pearce Jr. is back in the conversation after completing an eight-game suspension, giving Atlanta a possible reinforcement as it tries to steady itself on an international stage. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Got Outplayed In The Exact Way They Wanted To Win
Rainy conditions in Week 8 turned into a ground-game test, and it was Tampa Bay that controlled it. The Buccaneers leaned hard on the run and came away with a 16-0 win, while Atlanta never found the same kind of rhythm on the ground despite having Bijan Robinson in the backfield. It was the sort of game the Falcons usually want to make their own, only this time they were the ones getting pushed around in it.
The matchup carried a little extra edge because Zac Robinson was on the other sideline as Tampa Bays offensive coordinator, facing Atlanta for the first time since leaving. Instead of the Falcons dictating terms with their rushing attack, the Buccaneers were the more effective and more committed team in that phase, which only sharpened the frustration for Atlanta. For a club built to lean on the run, getting outplayed there is the kind of result that lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Got A Huge Pass Rush Boost At The Right Time
The Falcons got a timely lift for a pass rush that could use it, reinstating edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and making him eligible to rejoin the mix for their Week 9 matchup against the Bengals. Pearce led Atlanta in sacks last season, and his return gives the defense a proven edge presence at a point in the schedule when pressure off the corner can change the tone of a game.
To clear the way, Atlanta moved on from defensive lineman Jared Ivey and defensive end Drake Jackson, a reminder that roster churn is part of the cost of getting healthier. The bigger question now is how quickly Pearce can slide back into the rotation and whether the Falcons can turn that added pressure into the kind of disruption they have been looking for all season. [Read more 🡒]