Falcons' JD Bertrand: Serves mostly on special teams
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Bertrand logged 35 tackles (13 solo) and two pass defenses in 15 regular-season games in 2025.
The second-year linebacker mostly operated on special teams this season. He did see more work on defense from Weeks 7 through 10 in the absence of Divine Deablo due to a forearm injury, and Bertrand logged 28 tackles (12 solo) and a pass defense over that four-game span. Bertrand would have a better chance to earn a starting role on the Falcons defense in 2026 if Kaden Elliss -- who is an unrestricted free agent -- takes his talents elsewhere.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Good to go
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Bertrand (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Colts.
Bertrand logged a full practice Friday and appears good to go for Sunday's contest. During last Sunday's 24-23 loss to the Patriots, Bertrand played 30 defensive snaps and logged five total tackles (four solo).
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Working through knee injury
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Bertrand (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Bertrand likely injured his knee during the Falcons' Week 9 loss to the Patriots, when he played 46 snaps (30 on defense, 16 on special teams) and finished with five tackles (four solo). He had has practice reps limited Wednesday, and he'll have two more opportunities to practice fully and avoid an injury tag ahead of Sunday's game against the Colts.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Tallies nine tackles in loss
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Bertrand logged nine tackles (three solo) in Atlanta's loss versus the Dolphins on Sunday.
Bertrand finished second on the team in tackles behind Kaden Elliss' 12. The 25-year-old has taken advantage of increased playing time over the past two weeks with Divine Deablo sidelined by a forearm injury, and has racked up 19 tackles (seven solo) over that span. Bertrand will look to keep producing in the Week 9 matchup against the Patriots.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: On the field for OTAs
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Bertrand (eye) is participating in OTAs, Daniel Flick of SI.com reports.
Bertrand closed his rookie season on the sidelines with an eye injury, though the issue is now behind him. He could be in line for a key reserve role in the middle of Atlanta's defense while also serving on special teams in 2025.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Good to go vs. Bolts
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Bertrand (concussion) does not carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Chargers.
Bertrand missed the Falcons' last three games due to a concussion. He was able to log consecutive full practices to end the week, and he has cleared the league's five-step concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's game. The rookie fifth-round pick has logged 10 tackles (seven solo) across eight regular-season games.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Missing another week
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Bertrand (concussion) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Broncos, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Bertrand downgraded to a DNP on Friday after opening the Falcons' week of practice with consecutive limited sessions. The rookie from Notre Dame must still pass through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol before taking the field again. Expect Rashaan Evans to serve as one of the Falcons' top rotational inside linebackers until Bertrand returns.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Out for Sunday
Rotowire
Bertrand (concussion) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Saints.
Bertrand has yet to pass through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol and is now in line to miss his second consecutive game Sunday. Rashaan Evans is expected to see increased work on the Falcons' special-teams unit with Bertrand sidelined in Week 10.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Will be sidelined Week 9
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Bertrand (concussion) won't play against the Cowboys on Sunday, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Bertrand was concussed in Sunday's win over Tampa Bay and hasn't cleared the NFL's five-step protocol. The linebacker logged 73 percent of the team's defensive snaps in Week 5 but has otherwise played primarily on special teams. Bertrand's absence Sunday could pave the way for Rashaan Evans, who was signed to the 53-player roster Friday, to see some work on defense immediately.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Doesn't practice Wednesday
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Bertrand (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Bertrand played 37 total snaps (16 defensive and 21 on special teams) and recorded two total tackles in Sunday's win over Tampa Bay, however, it appears he picked up a concussion in the process. He'll need to clear the NFL's five-step protocol in order to suit up in Week 9, when the Falcons host the Cowboys.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Heads home to Atlanta
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The Falcons selected Bertrand in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 143rd overall.
A metro Atlanta native, Bertrand comes home to the Falcons after spending his college career at Notre Dame. Bertrand led the Irish in tackles each of his last three seasons, topping out at 101 in 2021. A foot injury prevented him from testing during the pre-draft process, but the film shows him to be an instinctive 'backer and sure tackler. He has some thump at 235 pounds but has been knocked for short arms (30.63-inches), which raise questions about his ability to shed blocks and find the ball carrier. Kaden Elliss and Troy Andersen block Bertrand's path to starting, so special teams may be his quickest route to the field early in his career.
