Deion Jones Placed on IR by Falcons Due to Foot Injury Suffered in Week 1

One of the Atlanta Falcons' most dynamic defensive playmakers will miss a significant portion of the 2018 season.

The Falcons announced on Tuesday that linebacker Deion Jones was placed on injured reserve after tests revealed he required a procedure on his foot. 

"Following the game last Thursday, Deion reported soreness in his foot, so we sent him for further tests," head coach Dan Quinn said. "We got the results of those tests back today, and he unfortunately will require a procedure that will result in us having to place him on injured reserve. We are bummed for Deion, but we do expect to get him back at some point this season."

Players placed on injured reserve are required to sit out for at least eight weeks before they can return to games.

Atlanta came out of its Week 1 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles banged up on defense. In addition to Jones' foot ailment, safety Keanu Neal was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury. 

Jones has been a critical piece of Atlanta's defense since being drafted 52nd overall in 2016. The 23-year-old made the Pro Bowl last season after recording 138 total tackles, three interceptions and one sack. 

The Falcons will likely go with a rotation of linebackers to take Jones' place, with Kemal Ishmael and Foye Oluokun listed as backups on the official depth chart.