The Atlanta Falcons placed linebacker JD Bertrand on injured reserve Monday and signed veteran linebacker Josh Woods from the practice squad in a corresponding move, the team announced following roster cutdowns.
Immediate roster shakeup and what it means
Bertrand’s placement on injured reserve is official; he will be required to miss at least four games before he can return to the Falcons’ active roster. To fill his spot on the 53-man roster, Atlanta elevated Josh Woods off the practice squad, creating two open practice-squad vacancies in the process.
The switch gives the Falcons an experienced special-teams contributor back on the active roster. For Woods, the promotion represents another opportunity to continue his career in Atlanta, and his familiarity with the organization — coupled with an established role on special teams — positions him to step in right away.
With Woods back on the active roster and Bertrand temporarily sidelined, the Falcons enter the regular season with limited immediate change to the linebacker rotation on game days but with added depth on special teams and veteran experience available to the coaching staff.
Depth, roster flexibility and next steps
The move also opens two practice-squad spots the Falcons can use to address depth concerns ahead of Week 1. Si noted that those openings could prove useful as Atlanta continues to evaluate available players around the league following roster cuts, and that the team could add depth at linebacker or at another position as needed.
Si also outlined the pathway for Bertrand’s potential return: if he is able to return after the required four-game absence, the Falcons would have the option to bring him back using one of their designated-to-return slots. That option preserves the possibility of Bertrand rejoining the active roster later in the season, but it requires the team to manage one of its limited designated-return opportunities.
For now, the practical effect is straightforward. Woods occupies the immediate vacancy on the 53-man roster; Atlanta has two practice-squad openings to fill; and the team must plan around Bertrand’s minimum four-game absence when sculpting weekly game plans and special-teams alignments.
How the promotion shapes short-term strategy
Woods’ familiarity with the Falcons’ system and his special-teams experience give Atlanta a plug-and-play option on early-season rosters. That continuity matters most in the short term: special teams often decide field position and close games, and bringing an experienced special-teams player onto the active roster preserves institutional knowledge and continuity in those units.
Meanwhile, Bertrand’s move to injured reserve shifts the medical and personnel focus to recovery and roster management. The team must balance the temptation to chase immediate upgrades with the value of holding designated-to-return flexibility should Bertrand be available later in the season.
The roster calculus will play out across the next few days as the Falcons evaluate free agents and the pool of players cleared from other teams’ cutdowns. The two open practice-squad slots create room to audition rookies or veterans who can provide insurance at linebacker or bolster other areas of need.
The Falcons’ official roster moves Monday leave the organization with a veteran on the active roster in Woods, a temporarily sidelined Bertrand, and the short-term flexibility to add reinforcements through the practice squad or other transactions as the regular season approaches.
