Bralen Trice is back in the mix for the Falcons, and the timing could hardly be better.
After a two-season stretch that has kept him off the field for 735 days, the 25-year-old edge rusher is finally working in camp as Atlanta gets ready for its preseason opener Friday, Aug. 14, against the Denver Broncos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Trice has not played in a regular-season game yet, and his path back has been slowed by the left knee that ended his rookie year before it ever really began.
He tore his left ACL against the Miami Dolphins in the 2024 NFL season, then aggravated that same knee at training camp before the 2025 season, which kept him out again. Now, in his third NFL season, he’s back practicing and sounding like a player who believes the hardest part is behind him.
“I don’t see it as hard. It’s just been a lot of work, but I feel like I’ve gone through it all,” Trice reflected on being back on the field in training camp.
“I’ve become a better player, become a better person on and off the field. There’s been a lot of things to juggle.
It’s been fun, I’ve enjoyed the process, and now I’m out here feeling great.”
Atlanta has leaned on outside linebackers coach John Timu throughout Trice’s recovery, and the two already had history from their time together at the University of Washington before the Falcons made Trice a third-round pick in 2024. Timu sees real progress.
“A huge improvement,” Timu said of Trice. “I think number one is obviously he’s got to take care of his body, stay healthy.
Losing him for the last two years for a full season, that’s tough for anybody. So, easing him back into it.
Being aggressive and smart with his approach to practice. I don’t have any issue with him playing football.”
That return matters even more now because the Falcons are dealing with another major loss at the position. Jalon Walker, Atlanta’s 2025 first-round pick, tore his left ACL and will miss the entire 2026 NFL season. Walker had 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks last year, and his absence opens the door for Trice to take on a much bigger role.
At 6-foot-4 and 274 pounds, Trice has the size to step into that spot either as part of a rotation or in the starting lineup. Head coach Kevin Stefanski praised what he’s seen once the pads came on and live tackling was allowed.
“Very disruptive, powerful player,” Stefanski explained Trice. “So just continue to bring him along and find his fit on the defense. Getting to see it with pads on has been the most important part.”
The last NFL action Trice saw ended with a solo tackle and then the knee injury in the second quarter. That’s the last snapshot of his game so far, but he believes the version of himself Atlanta gets now will be sharper.
“I’ll be the same, if not better,” Trice previewed his year.
“I’ve had this time to really figure out how I want to be on the field, how I want to take care of my body, how I want to prep myself before games, take care of myself after games. That’s a huge part of the game outside of the field. Doing all you can for your body.”
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