FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — There was a clear turning point in Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Bralen Trice's recovery from a torn ACL, although it seems like a simple one at first: the ability to bend and straighten his knee.
The moment itself sticks in Trice's mind, as he returns to the field after nearly a year away. His wife, surgeon and physical therapists were all ecstatic when Trice proved he once again had full range of motion in his leg. Their reaction was instant.
"Everybody's jumping around the training room," Trice said. "Because they treat it like a huge deal when you finally get that extension."
Trice wasn't in the clear yet, but that was one of the biggest obstacles in the rehab process.
"When I finally hit that," Trice said, "I was like, 'All right, smooth. I'm going to get this done.'"
And he did.
Trice was not an active participate in the Falcons' offseason program. Rather, he spent the majority of that time with the athletic trainers, working on getting back his speed and strength.
When training camp began last week, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Trice is "ready to go" but will have some "modifications." Trice isn't the only one whose regiment was labeled in such a way, though. For example, right tackle Kaleb McGary and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. were also mentioned to have modifications.
Regardless of the terminology, Trice has been present at every open practice thus far. All four, to be exact.
"I was so fired up about Bralen last year, and it's the same thing this year," Morris said. "That injury was heartbreaking for all of us."
The Falcons drafted Trice with a third-round pick in 2024. He arrived in Atlanta and immediately turned heads. After taking substantial reps with both the first- and second-teams defenses early into the preseason, he was listed as a backup on the Falcons' first official depth chart, falling in behind Arnold Ebiketie.
However, during the Falcons' first exhibition game – a road loss to the Miami Dolphins – Trice got hurt while rushing the passer on a third-down play. Two days later, he was placed on injured reserve. It was ultimately a season-ending injury.
"You never think that's going to be you in that situation," Trice said. "When it happens, you're kind of surprised."
The worst Trice had ever previously dealt with was a shattered finger.
Trice feels 100% healthy now, and he's excited entering his second season. The Falcons brought in a new defensive coordinator this year in Jeff Ulbrich, and Trice loves the system being installed. It prioritizes getting after the quarterback, and Trice led the FBS in pressures during his final two collegiate seasons.
"I've always believed that defense should be on our terms," Ulbrich said. "Offense, it's designed to be on their terms, and they dictate the personnel groupings. They snap the ball when they want to snap it. But, beyond that, we will dictate how this game goes, and to do that, there has to be, in my opinion, a little bit less of a read element, more of an attack mentality.
"So, that's what we're ingraining in these guys. The beauty of it is we have guys that are built for this life, guys that are aggressive and tough. Bralen is absolutely one of those guys."
The Falcons put the pads on for the first time Tuesday, so now the defense can show its potential within internal limits. External competition doesn't come to town until next Friday, though, when Atlanta hosts the Detroit Lions inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their exhibition debut. Then, there's no holding back.
Trice's hope is to pick up right where he left off.
"I'm back," Trice said. "Like nothing happened."
