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McClellan

McClellan has not practiced since hurting his knee last Friday and may be a candidate for injured reserve. Ruke Orhorhoro (ankle) and Mike Hughes (neck) are playing off questionable tags. The other five Falcons are healthy scratches as the team tries to hold on to their NFC South lead.

The Falcons came into the week with a very busy injury report, but the big names are all healthy and active for Week 13. McClellan was downgraded to out on Friday with a knee injury he apparently suffered in practice. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was sent to injured reserve next week. Younghoe Koo (hip) is playing off the questionable line. Hughes is out with a Neck injury despite getting in a full practice on Friday. The others are healthy scratches.

The Falcons have much of the same inactives as they have had for most of the season. Anderson is out due to a knee injury and Nate Landman was activated off injured reserve to help boost the linebacker position in Anderson’s absence.

This is about as quiet of a list as you will ever see in the modern NFL. The Falcons are getting back RT Kaleb McGary, hopefully boosting the running game and buying Kirk Cousins a little more time with the pass.

For the third consecutive week, the Falcons enter their game with a relatively clean bill of health. That’s good news considering a matchup with the stalwart Chiefs on deck.

No real surprises here after the list of inactives almost exactly mirrors the team’s Week 1 inactives list. The Falcons remain one of the healthier on-paper teams heading into Week 2.

McClellan is sixth-round rookie who is now a healthy scratch with the Falcons having a full running back room Week 1. Washington, Orhorhoro, Gwyn and Dorlus are also healthy inactives. Hamilton was ruled out due to a groin injury, but other than that, the Falcons enter Week 1 against the Steelers with a clean bill of health.

Washington has quietly been competing for the Falcons’ No. 3 RB role with 2024 rookie Jase McClellan, who rushed 9 times for 37 yards and caught 2-of-4 targets for 13 yards. Washington tallied 12 first-team snaps to McClellan’s 10 and forced five missed tackles to McClellan’s one, maintaining an edge over the former Alabama player.

McClellan (5’10/221) spent the first two years of his time in Tuscaloosa as a backup but forced a committee with Jahmyr Gibbs in 2022. He then took over the backfield in his final season on campus, rushing 180 times for 890 yards and eight scores. McClellan has good contact balance, absorbing body blows and often shedding tacklers. He’s a competent pass-catcher out of the backfield, logging 29 catches for 311 yards and three scores over his final two collegiate seasons. On the other hand, McClellan doesn’t look like a special athlete on tape. He doesn’t have great burst and won’t threaten defenses with home run plays often. The eye test is all we have for his measurables as McClellan only benched at the combine and did not log any drills at Alabama’s Pro Day. McClellan will struggle to see any playing time in the Falcons backfield barring a series of running back injuries.

McClellan was seen in crutches in the 4th quarter of the Ole Miss game, and head coach Nick Saban said the injury “is not good” so the news isn’t terribly surprising. McClellan was the primary backup to Brian Robinson, and accrued 288 yards from scrimmage and four rushing and receiving scores. Alabama will turn to Roydell Williams and Trey Sanders to backup Robinson.