Atlanta placed Smith on injured reserve Saturday due to an ankle injury, Scott Bair of the team's official site reports.
Smith likely sustained the ankle injury during practice this week, and after logging a DNP on Friday, the 31-year-old fullback has landed on IR. The veteran had appeared in 13 of the Falcons' 14 games before suffering this injury, recording 33 yards from scrimmage on three touches and playing 220 snaps on special teams.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Unlikely to play versus Indy
Rotowire
Smith (ankle) is listed as doubtful ahead of Sunday's contest against the Colts, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Smith was a full participant in the first two practices of the week but did not practice Friday. It seems as though the ankle injury was sustained during the practice week, and it appears unlikely he'll play Sunday. The Falcons could look to elevate a fullback from the practice squad or utilize a backup tight end like Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt or John FitzPatrick to lead block in the backfield for Bijan Robinson and the rest of the team's running backs.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Goes without carry, target Sunday
Rotowire
Smith played 10 of 52 snaps on offense and went without a carry or target in Sunday's 9-7 loss to the Panthers.
The fullback has suited up for 13 of the Falcons' first 14 games, but he continues to be used almost exclusively as a blocker on the rare occasions he takes the field on offense. He has yet to log a carry and has drawn three targets (three catches for 33 yards) on the season.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Clears concussion protocol
Rotowire
Smith (concussion) was not listed on Atlanta's injury report Thursday.
It looks like Smith will be ready to go come Sunday at Arizona after sitting out in Week 9. He can be expected to play around 15 snaps, but he's only seen two touches through eight games so far this season.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Returns to practice
Rotowire
Smith (concussion) practiced in full Wednesday, Amna Subhan of the Falcons' official site reports.
Smith has still not technically cleared the league's concussion protocols, but the San Jose State product appears to be headed in the right direction after missing Sunday's game against the Vikings. Assuming he has no setbacks, Smith should gain clearance to play ahead of the team's Week 10 matchup against the Cardinals.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Ruled out for Week 9
Rotowire
Smith (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Smith remains in the NFL's concussion protocol after exiting the team's Week 8 loss to the Titans. The fullback has played mostly on special teams when healthy. Smith's next chance to play will come in Week 10 against the Cardinals.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Won't return Sunday
Rotowire
Smith (concussion) has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Titans, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Smith entered the league's concussion protocols and wasn't able to get through the tests to return. He's primarily contributed on special teams this season.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Career-long reception in win
Rotowire
Smith caught his only target for 28 yards during Sunday's 21-19 win over the Texans.
Smith's first catch of the season went for a career-high gain. The fullback played a season-high 20 offensive snaps during Sunday's win, but he doesn't have any fantasy value in his current role.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Signs new deal
Rotowire
The Falcons re-signed Smith on Monday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Smith is now slated to stay put in Atlanta for at least one more year following Monday's transaction. The 30-year-old fullback is heading into his 10th NFL season and saw 246 offensive snaps and 261 special-teams snaps this past campaign.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Serves as blocker in '22
Rotowire
Smith finished the regular season with two yards on one carry and an eight-yard reception on two targets while playing in all 17 of the Falcons' games during the 2022 season.
In his fourth season with Atlanta, Smith once again saw a near-even split between offense and special-teams work. The fullback played 246 offensive snaps on the campaign, compared to 261 on special teams, where he served as a key member of Atlanta's coverage and return units. Smith is headed for unrestricted free agency this offseason, but the Falcons will presumably be interested in retaining him if head coach Arthur Smith continues to include a fullback as part of his offensive scheme in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Filling blocking role
Rotowire
Smith went without a carry or target while playing nine of the Falcons' 57 snaps on offense in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Commanders.
The fullback has appeared in all 12 of the Falcons' games this season, but he continues to be utilized almost exclusively as a blocker on the limited occasions he takes the field with the offense. Both of his touches for the season -- a two-yard carry and an eight-yard reception -- came in a Week 6 win over the 49ers.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Totals 10 yards in win
Rotowire
Smith tallied one carry for two yards and reeled in his only target for eight yards during Sunday's 28-14 victory versus the 49ers.
Smith played 28 offensive snaps and garnered his first two touches of the campaign. The fullback remains irrelevant in standard fantasy leagues, but he is likely to see periodic touches in Arthur Smith's downhill running scheme.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Rehabbing from offseason surgery
Rotowire
Smith underwent offseason knee surgery, but he's expected to be ready for training camp, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Smith appeared in all 17 games for the Falcons last year and finished with career highs in rushing attempts (nine) and rushing yards (31), while adding nine receptions for 56 yards. The veteran fullback hasn't missed a game since 2015 and has garnered a consistent role for Atlanta over the past three seasons.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Hauls in only target Sunday
Rotowire
Smith caught his only target for three yards during Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Saints.
Smith finished his third season in Atlanta with nine rushing attempts for 31 yards and nine receptions for 56 yards. The veteran fullback is under contract for one more season, so he's expected to return with a similar role during the 2022 season.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Two catches in win
Rotowire
Smith caught both of his targets for 16 yards during Sunday's 21-14 win over the Jaguars.
Smith continues to have a marginal role in Atlanta's offense, totaling seven touches for 40 yards over his last three games. However, barring a touchdown, Smith will likely remain unplayable in standard formats.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Four touches in Week 11
Rotowire
Smith ran three times for eight yards and caught his only target for 11 yards during Thursday's 25-0 loss to the Patriots.
With Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) out, Smith saw multiple rushing attempts for the first time since Week 2. On the season, the fullback has appeared in every game, totaling nine carries for 31 yards (career-high) and five receptions for 35 yards. Barring a touchdown, Smith will likely remain unplayable in standard formats.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Records five touches Week 1
Rotowire
Smith ran two times for 13 yards and caught all three of his targets for 18 yards during Sunday's loss to the Eagles.
During Smith's seven years in the league he amassed 20 total rushing yards, but he started out his eighth season with a career-high 13 rushing yards in Week 1. He also finished fifth on the team in receiving. While Smith's career-high performance was exciting, his fantasy value is certainly limited and he will be a touchdown-dependent streaming option moving forward.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Not restricted by knee issue
Rotowire
Smith (knee) was a full participant during Wednesday's practice session, Jason Butt of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The 28-year-old has thus far been able to avoid injury this season, suiting up for all 11 of the Falcons' games while accumulating 19 scrimmage yards on eight touches. His knee issue came to light on Wednesday's injury report, but a full practice session means he should be ready to go for a Week 13 matchup against New Orleans, barring any setbacks.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Set to come off COVID-19 list
Rotowire
Smith announced that he has been cleared to enter team facilities after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list July 29, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The veteran fullback is one of seven Atlanta players to have so far landed on the NFL's reserve/COVID-19 list, but now he rejoins the Falcons' backfield in Flowery Branch as the team sits one month away from kicking off its season against Seattle. Smith certainly wasn't a down-in, down-out kind of player during his debut campaign in Atlanta last year, but he was more heavily utilized than the vast majority of modern fullbacks. He ranked sixth in the NFL in offensive snap percentage among fullbacks during 2019 (16.6 percent) and enters 2020 as a key fixture towards Atlanta's directive of improving the ground attack.
... See More... See Less
Falcons' Keith Smith: Tests positive for COVID-19
Rotowire
Smith tested positive for the coronavirus and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.
Atlanta will be without the services of its top fullback for the early stages of the abbreviated offseason program, after Smith joined teammates Jamal Carter and Jaylinn Hawkins on the inactive/COVID list. Smith was reportedly asymptomatic, emphasizing the importance of the league's mandated "two negative test" policy, which ensures that players show to be clear of COVID-19 on two separate occasions before being allowed into team facilities. The 28-year-old fullback will be delayed in acclimating to in-person activities this summer, but Atlanta averts potential disaster by catching the issue up front and preventing further spread to the locker room.
