Falcons make linebacker roster move, promote Josh Woods and place J.D. Bertrand on injured reserve

The Atlanta Falcons finalized a quick change to their linebacker rotation on Monday evening, promoting veteran LB Josh Woods from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster. The move came alongside a corresponding roster adjustment at the position, with the team placing LB J.D. Bertrand on injured reserve, according to the Falcons’ official transaction release.

For the Falcons, the swap reflects the way NFL teams manage roster stability during the late-summer roster window. When a player is moved to injured reserve, the team has to create a new active roster spot and recalibrate roles among linebackers who were either preparing for reduced snaps or competing for remaining depth opportunities. Promoting from the practice squad is one of the most common paths because it preserves continuity, familiarity with the team’s playbook, and a shorter ramp than introducing a player from outside the organization.

Woods’ elevation to the active roster is also notable for what it suggests about the Falcons’ depth planning. Practice-squad promotions typically indicate the staff sees enough readiness to trust a player for game-week preparation and active-roster participation. Woods had been operating within the team’s system leading up to the promotion, which can matter immediately for special teams assignments and rotational coverage responsibilities once he is on the 53-man roster.

The Falcons’ decision to place Bertrand on injured reserve is the other major piece of the transaction. An injured reserve designation removes a player from the active roster while the team addresses the roster gap created by the absence. Beyond the roster mechanics, it forces Atlanta to think ahead about how it wants to structure linebacker snaps across practices and into the regular season, particularly if the team expects to rely on multiple roles rather than a single-starter-heavy plan.

Monday’s timing also underscores how closely the Falcons are managing roster decisions. Promotions from the practice squad do not occur in a vacuum, and teams typically align them with the immediate needs of the current roster, training-camp evaluation, and the day-to-day availability of players at a position group. Even when changes appear simple on paper, they can affect how coaches distribute reps and how the second and third units communicate on the field.

Neither Woods’ promotion nor Bertrand’s placement on injured reserve changes the broader Falcons’ objective of building a dependable depth chart, but it does change who is available to contribute right away. With Woods now on the active roster, the Falcons have at least one additional linebacker option already inside the building, while Bertrand’s IR placement indicates Atlanta will be operating without him for the foreseeable future under NFL roster rules.

As the Falcons continue their roster preparation, the key question is how the team will slot Woods into linebacker groupings and how the active roster’s snaps will distribute among the remaining linebackers. The next checkpoints will be practice usage and game-week role definition, especially for special teams and any packages that draw on depth players behind the starters.