The Atlanta Falcons' loss to the San Francisco 49ers didn't provide just a loss on the scoreboard,it offered the loss of a key player. But it's not Michael Penix Jr. you may be thinking of, he'll be okay.
Divine Deablo left the game early with a forearm injury, quickly being ruled out for the game. We were all cautiously optimistic that the star linebacker would be back sooner rather than later, but that didn't last long as Raheem Morris called him "week to week" with what has been determined to be a forearm fracture.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said inside linebacker Divine Deablo has a fracture in his forearm and hope to get him back this season: "He's going to miss some time."
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) October 20, 2025
While Morris did call him week-to-week, a fracture likely means he won't be back any time soon. He plays what is perhaps the most physical position in the game of football, which will push the Falcons to be overly careful.
Divine Deablo's injury leaves the Falcons with another major issue
We quickly learned just how important Divine Deablo is to Jeff Ulbrich's defense. The converted-safety gives him a fast piece to use in coverage and as a blitzer.
His replacement, JD Bertrand, is anything but that. He is a good special teamer, but not someone you want starting on defense.
Linebackers are so important in this scheme. They are the pieces that allow Ulbrich to confuse quarterbacks and offensive lines—especially when they have Deablo's versatility.
Deablo's absense completely disrupts the rest of the defense. More pressure lands on the shoulders of Kaden Elliss, likely limiting his usage as a pass-rusher.
Quarterbacks also don't have to worry about having Deablo in their lap right off the rip. The Falcons, right now, don't have anyone who can match his speed. The only guy that could is Troy Andersen, but that injury history makes him the last player you can count on.
This injury also comes at a brutal time for the Falcons. While they play the struggling Dolphins next, they play the surging Patriots, Colts, and Panthers the following three weeks.
The good news is that even without Deablo, the defense still did enough to win the game (when they had 11 players on the field). 20 points shouldn't beat you in the NFL, especially with that offense.
Hopefully, they can overcome the injury and give Penix and the offense as much help as possible.