The original perception when Brandon Dorlus was carted off the field is that he suffered a torn ACL and would miss most of 2026, which Raheem Morris himself seemed to confirm. But now, we know the true extent of the injury that saw the 24-year-old cry as he was carted off, and it's the best case scenario.
Less than 48 hours after Dorlus went down, Morris shed some light on his status. He confirmed the Atlanta Falcons "dodged a big-time bullet" regarding their second-year defensive tackle, before telling the media on Wednesday afternoon that it's a hamstring injury, not a knee issue like we were led to believe.
Morris says "we dodged a big-time bullet" with Brandon Dorlus. Morris said it's not a ligament and it's actually a hamstring injury. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 31, 2025
Dorlus has been one of the best players for this Atlanta defense this season, so fans can't help but rejoice over this news. There was no damage to the ligament either, which means that he could have had a chance to play this weekend, but the Falcons are better off holding him out as a precaution.
Falcons finally receive some good injury news with update on Brandon Dorlus' status
The Oregon product currently is tied for the team lead with 8.5 sacks this season, and his season was believed to be over. And while it still very likely still will be, since Morris hates to rush his players back from injury, at least this isn't an injury that will sideline him for the majority of the offseason anymore.
Dorlus and James Pearce Jr. have been the two best players on the Dirty Birds' defensive line, so losing him for any amount of time would have been costly. His breakout season has been one of the most exciting storylines on the team this season, so fans can finally rest a little easier going forward.
Sunday's Week 18 clash with the New Orleans Saints is the textbook definition of a meaningless game, so the Falcons have no reason to risk further injury to a potential franchise cornerstone on defense, even though shutting him down isn't a decision the majority of the fanbase agrees with.
With Dorlus already ruled out, David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro will take on the majority of the work for the Falcons at defensive tackle on Sunday, which could help them both save their futures in Atlanta. And that also means Pearce and Jalon Walker will face an uphill battle against the Saints' OL.
Losing Dorlus for 9-12 months would have been a legitimate nightmare, so the fact their breakout star avoided a ligament or a major knee or leg injury is the best injury news this team has received all season long.