The Atlanta Falcons won’t be placing pass-rusher Brooks Reed on the short-term injured reserve list, which is fantastic news for the player and the franchise.
Reed has been dealing with a groin injury that required surgery. The Falcons announced he will not be headed to the short-term IR on Monday, though, despite his surgery.
This means Atlanta almost certainly expects Reed to be available before the mid-way point in the season, which would be when he would have been available if he had been placed on the short-term IR. It’s an encouraging sign that his recovery is coming along swiftly.
The news is also a bit surprising, considering Reed’s agent had previously said his client was going on the list, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He is slated to play opposite sensational rookie Vic Beasley this season, and the two are expected to develop into a dynamic combination for Dan Quinn’s Falcons. As good as Atlanta’s offense has been this preseason, the team won’t make it to the playoffs without a stronger effort defensively than we’ve seen the past two years.