Atlanta and New Orleans will face off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The Atlanta Falcons‘ 2024 season was off to a promising start before Kirk Cousins suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons went on a four-game losing streak before eventually benching Cousins for Michael Penix Jr. late in the year.
Penix held that starting job for the first 11 weeks of the 2025 season but suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Carolina Panthers last weekend. As the Falcons prepare to face the Saints for the first time in 2025, Cousins is back under center once again.
The team placed Penix on the injured reserve list Wednesday and he will undergo ACL reconstruction surgery. Atlanta signed quarterback Easton Stick to serve as Cousins’ backup as the team attempts to end a five-game losing streak.
On the bright side, the Falcons are expected to get linebacker Divine Deablo back from the injured reserve list in time for Sunday’s game in New Orleans. Deablo is still technically on IR, but he’s been designated to return and practiced all three days this week.
Deablo can be activated at any time, so don’t be surprised if he’s added to the roster on Saturday. Check out the Falcons’ updated 53-man roster and practice squad entering Week 12 below.
Quarterback (2)Kirk Cousins (18)Easton Stick (12)Running back (3)Bijan Robinson (7)Tyler Allgeier (25)Nathan Carter (38)Wide Receiver (6)Darnell Mooney (1)KhaDarel Hodge (4)Drake London (5)Jamal Agnew (14)Casey Washington (82)David Sills V (87)Tight End (4)Kyle Pitts (8)Feleipe Franks (84)Teagan Quitoriano (85)Charlie Woerner (89)Offensive Line (9)Jovaughn Gwyn (52)Chris Lindstrom (63)Ryan Neuzil (64)Matthew Bergeron (65)Kyle Hinton (68)Jack Nelson (69)Jake Matthews (70)Elijah Wilkinson (71)Michael Jerrell (72)Defensive line (7)Brandon Dorlus (54)David Onyemata (90)Kentavius Street (93)LaCale London (94)Zach Harrison (96)Ruke Orhorhoro (98)Elijah Garcia (91)EDGE (5)Jalon Walker (11)Arnold Ebiketie (17)James Pearce Jr. (27)Leonard Floyd (56)Khalid Kareem (92)ILB (4)Ronnie Harrison (36)JD Bertrand (40)Josh Woods (42)Kaden Elliss (55)Cornerback (6)Dee Alford (20)Mike Hughes (21)A.J. Terrell (24)Mike Ford (28)Billy Bowman Jr. (33)Natrone Brooks (35)Safety (4)Jessie Bates III (3)DeMarcco Hellams (23)Xavier Watts (31)Jordan Fuller (29)Specialists (3)Zane Gonzalez (45)Bradley Pinion (13)Liam McCullough (49)Falcons 16-man practice squadQB Kyle Trask (16)OL Andrew Stueber (74)CB Cobee Bryant (37)S Jammie Robinson (34)CB C.J. Henderson (30)DL Ben Stille (90)CB A.J. Woods (42)RB Carlos Washington (26)WR Deven Thompkins (83)WR Chris Blair (19)WR Nick Nash (80)WR Dylan Drummond (81)TE Joshua Simon (47)OL Carter Warren (66)OL Joshua Gray (67)CB Keith Taylor (32)K Lenny Krieg (46) IPPReserve/Injured listQB Michael Penix Jr.LB Divine Deablo (Practice window opened)LB DeAngelo MaloneCB Clark Phillips IIIOT Storm Norton (out for season)OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.DL Sam RobertsDL Bralen TriceQB Emory JonesOL Ryan Hayes (practice squad IR)OT Kaleb McGary (out for season)Reserve/Physically unable to perform listReserve/Non-football injury listLB Malik Verdon (designated to return)
Sunday’s game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Falcons are 3-7, while the Saints aren’t far behind at 2-8. The winner in Week 12 will take over third place in the NFC South.