Since the Kansas City Chiefs signed former Atlanta Falcons running back Nate Carter to their practice squad, it was only fair that Atlanta was going to return the favor and sign an ex-Chief to its practice squad, signing OL Josh Thompson to fill one of their final openings on the practice squad.
And while signing Thompson feels inconsequential, it's truthfully anything but. The Falcons' current backup guards are Kyle Hinton and Kam Dewberry (PS), and both of them are currently dealing with injuries this summer--so insurance on the interior of the offensive line was badly needed.
And while guys like Ethan Onianwa and Corey Levin can slide to guard in an Armageddon situation, they now have another option should either Hinton or Dewberry miss time. But there is more than meets the eye here--and this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Josh Thompson is an important addition to the Falcons' practice squad
It's particularly telling that Hinton, who got injured during the preseason, was placed on the Falcons initial roster as opposed to being placed on short-term IR or the PUP list to start the season. But signing Thompson feels like a hint that he should miss time, even if it's not the first month of 2026.
This could mean a short-term IR stint is coming for Kyle Hinton, and since Kam Dewberry is coming off of a leg injury that saw him get carted off the field in the preseason game against the Colts, but recovered in time to land on the P-Squad. So this feels like insurance given the injuries on the IOL.
But it doesn't end there. Thompson is a 2026 undrafted free agent out of LSU who spent the summer in Kansas City, so his addition to the practice squad leaves one open spot for the Dirty Birds: and since the P-Squad only has five veterans on it, they are likely saving this one to possibly use on a vet.
Signing someone like the 6-foot-5, 310-pound OL won't stop the Falcons from signing someone like Zach Harrison, Cooper Rush, Natrone Brooks, or even Azeez Ojulari to the practice squad. A team can roster up to six veterans on the practice squad, while the other 10 spots must go to rookies or players with less than two seasons of NFL experience.
Josh Thompson may not be a household name or anything, but when it comes to the practice squad, you don't need to be--so the Atlanta Falcons may have signed him to help them in two different areas, especially with both Kyle Hinton and Kam Dewberry on the mend.
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