Brandon Dorlus has been the breakout star of the season for the Atlanta Falcons' defensive line, but his season is all but over. The second-year DT was carted off the field due to a knee injury (and was even seen visibly crying on the cart during the ESPN broadcast, which was genuinely heartbreaking.
The Falcons most likely one of their best defenders to an injury that is still unknown, which certainly stings. However, Raheem Morris at least gave some information on his injury, revealing that "it didn't look great", which could mean that the injury could be more serious than it was originally believed.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris does not have an update on defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus, who left the game with a knee injury: "It didn't look great. I feel for the young man."
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) December 30, 2025
Luckily, there is only one game left in the season, but losing Dorlus at all stings. The 24-year-old was in the midst of a career year and emerged as a driving force behind the success of this Atlanta defense, even if he isn'r receiving the same level of attention as Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
Falcons' defense will somehow have to make due without Brandon Dorlus
The 24-year-old missed just one game this season, which came in Week 14 vs. the Seahawks due to a groin injury. While he still added another sack to his season total last night, the injury cast a dark cloud on it since he had a chance to be the Dirty Birds' first 10-sack player since Vic Beasley in 2016.
The Oregon product is now tied with Pearce for the team lead in sacks, as they both have recorded 8.5 this season. He hardly played as a rookie under DC Jimmy Lake, but Jeff Ulbrich has grown to rely on him this season, which was the main catalyst for a breakout season that nobody really expected.
The 2024 fourth-round pick has a knack for getting to the quarterback, which has made him the most productive DT on the team. Zach Harrison was productive prior to injury, but he's been out for weeks, and fellow second-year DL Ruke Orhorhoro has yet to come close to what Dorlus has accomplished.
The Falcons rank second in the NFL in sacks this season, and Dorlus has been a main reason as to why. No. 54's presence has made it that offenses can't double team Walker or Pearce, which is part of why both first-round EDGE rushers have more than exceeded expectations in their rookie seasons.
It hurts even more to see his own love and passion for the game in his emotion after the injury, since his season didn't deserve to end like this. Here's hoping we get more clarity soon and he comes back stronger in 2026, since his injury cast a dark spell on an exciting upset victory.