Za'Darius Smith cleared concussion protocol on Thursday, but the Falcons still listed him as limited in practice because of a neck injury. The update changed his designation from concussion/neck to just neck and left his status for Sunday against the Bears unresolved.
That matters now because Smith missed last Sunday night’s game against the Ravens after leaving the previous week’s win over the Saints with the injury. For a Falcons defense that is still sorting through availability issues, even a limited return from Smith narrows one concern without fully removing it.
The practice report was the clearest sign yet that the setback has eased, at least in part. Clearing concussion protocol means the head-injury concern is no longer keeping him out, but limited work suggests the neck issue is still enough to restrict him from a full load. For a player who was unavailable in the prime-time loss to Baltimore, that is progress — just not a clean bill of health.
There was other injury movement around the Falcons as well. Michael Penix Jr. was a full participant for a second consecutive practice after he was unable to finish Sunday’s overtime loss with a ribs injury, while C.J. Henderson missed a second straight practice with a groin issue that knocked him out of the Ravens game. Jeff Ulbrich said he remained confident in the players the unit can still deploy at cornerback despite the injuries to A.J. Terrell and Henderson, and Atlanta also signed Jammie Robinson to the practice squad and elevated Drake Jackson and him for Sunday’s game.
Smith’s next step is simple: prove the neck injury no longer limits him enough to sit out. Until then, the Falcons have only partial reassurance, and his availability for Sunday remains the question that matters most.
