Falcons DT Marlon Davidson to miss the rest of the preseason after knee scope

The Atlanta Falcons have been hit hard with injuries on the defensive line, and I regret to inform you that the hits keep coming. After missing Atlanta’s first preseason game against the Detroit Lions, defensive tackle Marlon Davidson has undergone a knee scope and will apparently miss “at least” the rest of the preseason. Here’s the original report from ESPN’s Mike Rothstein.

This is a significant blow to Davidson, as the former second-rounder has dealt with a litany of injuries since coming in to the league in 2020. He’s never been truly healthy since joining the Falcons, and reports were positive that his health had finally improved coming into training camp this season. Unfortunately, the injury bug is relentless, and has once again shortened his offseason.

Davidson has appeared in just 19 games over the past two seasons—a grand total of 402 snaps—with a relatively quiet stat line of 29 total tackles (14 solo), 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 2 PD, and one beautiful pick-six of Tom Brady. He’s largely been a reserve and rotational piece for the Falcons due to his inability to stay healthy, but he appeared to be in line for a significant pass rushing role in 2022.

This latest injury, which could potentially keep him out into the season, casts even more doubt on Davidson’s long-term future with the team. At this point, placing Davidson on injured reserve would end his season, so the Falcons may have to carry him on the roster until Week 1 to preserve the chance for him to return on short-term IR. Atlanta will now have to take an even more serious look at who becomes available during final cuts, as they may need to fill another spot on the defensive line depth chart going in to the year.

Join us in wishing for a speedy, successful recovery for Davidson.