Falcons Center with infrared return tab; Atlanta signs former Arizona Cardinals LB

The Atlanta Falcons they are close to returning to the starting center Drew Dalman.

After missing the last five games with an ankle injury suffered in a Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Dalman was designated for return from injured reserve, the Falcons announced in a press release Wednesday.

By designating Dalman to return, the Falcons opened a 21-day window for him to practice. Atlanta now has three weeks to activate him from injured reserve to the active roster.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris provided a brief but positive update on Dalman’s health during Wednesday’s press conference.

“Dalman is doing really well and is recovering,” Morris said.

Without Dalman, the Falcons turned to Ryan Neuzil for backup, and Morris said he performed admirably.

“You really didn’t notice,” Morris said of Neuzil’s entry.

The trend at Dalman has been favorable for weeks, but Morris said on October 23 that the Falcons would not rush him, instead waiting until he was truly ready to return.

“When you open this window, as you know, you open this window, you have three weeks in it. Within three weeks of that window, when you feel like he’s ready to play football, from a performance standpoint, you get him back there,” Morris said.

Atlanta made another move to its practice squad, releasing offensive lineman Matthew Cindric and signing center fielder Tyreek Maddox-Williams.

Maddox-Williams, an undrafted free agent who left Rutgers in 2022, signed with the Los Angeles Chargers after the draft. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. Maddox-Williams played three games with the Cards in 2023, playing on both defense and special teams.

The Falcons (5-3) return to action on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys (3-4) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 1 p.m.