The Atlanta Falcons might boast the best defense in the NFL through six weeks, but that unit just received a major loss on Sunday Night Football. After leaving the game early in the first quarter, star linebacker Divine Deablo will not return in Week 7 due to a forearm injury.
The 27-year-old signed a two-year $14 million deal with the Dirty Birds this offseason, and has made an instant impact for Jeff Ulbrich's defense. His 23 tackles rank fourth in the team, but as a converted safety, his sideline-to-sideline speed has become a crucial asset in pass coverage.
The Falcons are currently trailing 7-3 against the San Francisco 49ers, and the San Francisco offense is making noise. Without Deablo, the test for the league's top pass defense just got a whole lot tougher—especially in containing Niners superstar Christian McCaffrey.
Falcons lose Divine Deablo for the game against 49ers
The 2021 third-round pick has been a phenomenal free agent find for Terry Fontenot, who entered the offseason in hopes of adding more athleticism to the defense. With Jalon Walker and Billy Bowman Jr. already inactive for Atlanta's defense, this news couldn't have come at a worse time.
Deablo amassed a career-high 104 total tackles and 64 solo tackles with the Raiders in 2023, but struggled to return to form under Antonio Pierce. However, he's been flying around the field to kick off his time with the Falcons.
With the Virginia Tech product sidelined, it will be 2024 fifth-round pick JD Bertrand tasked with taking on additional defensive snaps. Entering Week 7, Betrand had played just one defensive snap in 2025 after the Notre Dame product impressed in limited action at the end of last season.
Deablo's absence is even more costly when you consider that the Falcons are already missing their other speedy coverage linebacker in Troy Andersen (who has yet to suit up in 2025), while Kaden Elliss is playing off the edge as a replacement to Walker.
The team led for most of the first half, but McCaffrey and the 49ers got on the board just before halftime—and Ulbrich's group might be running out of answers without their trusted leader.