FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- On Tuesday, the Atlanta Falcons activated Deion Jones from the injured reserve list and placed the linebacker on the 53-man active roster.
On Wednesday morning, Falcons coach Dan Quinn emphasized that the team is going to exercise caution when it comes to Jones and said they'll insert their Pro Bowl linebacker into the starting lineup when he's completely healthy.
"Well, we're going to great care of him, No. 1, because he is so important," Quinn said during his weekly radio appearance on 92.9 The Game. "I think the best way to go about it is, let's take him all the way through a full week where he can really get ready to play. And when he's ready to go, that's when we'll make him active. Until that time, we're not going to put him out there until he's 100 percent ready."
The Falcons (4-5) will take on the Dallas Cowboys, (4-5) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. A 1 p.m. ET kickoff is scheduled.
Jones has recorded 253 tackles, 23 pass defenses, seven interceptions and two touchdowns since entering the NFL, and he was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2017. To make room for him on the roster, the Falcons waived reserve offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo on Tuesday. Odhiambo, who was signed by the Falcons in October, was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and played in 15 games, including seven starts in 2017.
