The Atlanta Falcons ruled out C.J. Henderson for Week 6 on Friday, leaving him out of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears because of a groin injury. It is the latest hit to a secondary that is already short-handed, with A.J. Terrell still on IR.
For a team that entered the matchup at 2-3, the timing matters. The Falcons held their final practices of the week on Friday, and their injury report set the tone for a defense trying to get through another Sunday with limited margin.
Henderson’s absence is the clearest change, but it is not the only one shaping the week. Za’Darius Smith was listed as questionable after logging a limited practice Friday, so he still had a path to play. That leaves the Falcons with one defender definitely out and another still hanging in the balance, even as Michael Penix Jr. was cleared to play after leaving the previous game against the Baltimore Ravens with a rib injury.
The contrast with the Bears’ report is part of why this game drew so much attention. Chicago ruled out TJ Edwards, Keyshawn Elliott, Kyle Monangai and Dayo Odeyingbo, while Caleb Williams was set to return from a hamstring injury in Week 6. The result is a game in which both sides arrive with missing pieces, but Atlanta’s cornerback group looks especially exposed because Terrell is already sidelined.
The bigger question now is not whether Henderson will miss Sunday — that part is settled — but whether the groin injury keeps him out beyond Week 6. For the Falcons, the immediate problem is simpler and more urgent: they have to cover a thin secondary against the Chicago Bears without one of the players they expected to have.
