FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — I'll be honest, when I first found out the Atlanta Falcons would have the earliest possible bye week in Week 5, I was concerned. And selfishly, I was mad. What do you mean the Falcons got the Week 5 bye and not the week after they go to the West Coast to face the San Francisco 49ers? Or, heck, post-Germany?!

But now, sitting here on the cusp of the Week 5 bye, my point of view has changed. This bye week is coming at a pretty good time for Atlanta (and hey, me too). And if you would have told me the Falcons would go into their bye week 2-2, I'd be like, 'Cool. Sounds about right.' Of course the loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 stings significantly, however, the Falcons still have everything they want in front of them.

Can they build off their Week 4 win? Or will they lose steam after a week away? Jury is still out.

From @CookieByNature on X/Twitter

Who's eligible to return and do you think they will?

Sure, let's go through the list. I will start with the players I think are more likely to return, and then make my way down to those who I don't feel as confident about. Also, I will add head coach Raheem Morris was asked about majority of this list of players Monday, but didn't have too much information to share regarding their status. He said he'll know more after the bye week.

CB A.J. Terrell (hamstring), active 53-man roster: Terrell has missed the last two games, but he is trending in the right direction for a Week 6 return. If he gets some good days of practice in the Falcons' prep for the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football I would imagine he'd be good to go for the prime-time showdown. And let's be real: The Bills are one of the best offenses in the league. The Falcons could use Terrell.

Of all the individuals on this list, Terrell is the one player Morris said he feels the most confidence in returning after the bye week.

WR Darnell Mooney (hamstring), active 53-man roster: Mooney has had a tough go to start his 2025 season. He missed all of training camp with a shoulder injury. And even when he returned in Week 1 through Week 4, Morris said he was still working back to game-ready endurance. That could have contributed as to why this hamstring issue popped up last Sunday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Mooney is not likely to miss any games with the injury.

DB Natrone Brooks (concussion), active 53-man roster: As scary as the hit Brooks took last Sunday was, the Falcons could see him return sooner rather than later. Brooks just needs time to recover. And he'll be able to get time off the grass this week without having to miss a game. According to how he progresses through concussion protocol once practices pick back up next week, there's a chance we could see him back in action against the Bills.

DL Ta'Quon Graham (undisclosed), IR with designation to return: Since I don't know the full extent of Graham's injury, I don't have a very trustworthy timetable for his return. Technically speaking, he could return to practice during Week 6, but, again, I don't have any information beyond that.

OL Storm Norton (ankle), IR with designation to return: When Norton's ankle injury was first reported it was stated he would miss six to eight weeks. Week 6's game would land right in the middle of that time period. So, it is very possible Norton returns to practice and his window to be elevated to the active roster begins. If that is the case, the Falcons have some decisions to make about their right tackle position moving forward: Will they stick with Elijah Wilkinson, who is coming off what could arguably his best game as a Falcon? Or, will Norton make a case to return to the starting group? We shall see.

ILB Troy Andersen (knee), PUP with designation to return: Like Graham, Andersen's window to return could open next week. However, I am not too sure if that is even the timeline the Falcons are shooting for. I feel better about Andersen potentially returning this year, but he did have to have a procedure on his knee. When someone is returning from surgery, I tend to be more cautious with them.

EDGE Bralen Trice (knee), IR with designation to return: The last we heard of Trice, he was being placed on IR after re-aggravating the same knee that cost him his entire rookie season. That, to me, doesn't bode well for a swift return. Morris said back in August the earliest Trice could be back is after the bye week. However, there was also a potential that this injury was season ending. Because of that possibility, I don't feel very confident in seeing Trice soon. In fact, he may be the one I am least confident about.

Joe C. from Huntington Beach, California

Two questions.

First off, why are we not giving Lenny Krieg a shot on the 53-man roster yet? I was extremely bummed to see Younghoe Koo lose his spot and hated seeing him go but I understand. Parker Romo has had his struggles before so what's changed that won him the job now?

With Terrell getting hurt, please tell me we're not considering C.J. Gardner-Johnson? I say stick with the roster guys and give them the tools to win. Kudos to whoever said Billy Bowman needs to be a Falcon.

Answer No. 1: No one has told me this directly, so take what I am about to say with a grain of salt. I think if Krieg was ready to be called up he would have been when the Falcons originally went away from Koo. For the Falcons to dip back into the free agency kicker pool not once but twice (considering they did so after Romo missed two field goals in Carolina), I think that tells you all you need to know about where Krieg is in his development.

Answer No. 2: No. Gardner-Johnson is not an option. The Falcons are expecting Terrell back soon, and they have enough options in relief if they need to tap into depth like they have the last two games. That, and Gardner-Johnson is a safety. The Falcons are solid at safety right now. There's no need at all for Gardner-Johnson on this roster.

John J. from Suwanee, Georgia

How did Zac Robinson's move to the sideline to call plays go? Obviously the offense played better vs. Washington but how much of that can be attributed to that move and do you think he will stay there?

Robinson's move to the sideline debut was met with rave reviews all the way from Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback to offensive linemen as well as running backs. Communication, Penix said, was better and flowed naturally. Energy on the sideline picked up, too. Everyone agreed: It was the right move to make.

Jake Matthews: "It was good to have him down there. I think that helped. Everyone just executed and got stuff done as he called it."

Morris: "The communication seemed brisk. It seemed more comfortable to what we are and what we want to do. I was really pleased with how that worked out."

Penix: "It gives us confidence. To be able to come off to the sideline and be able to hear from him exactly what he's seeing and the way that he wants to set up the plays on the next drive, it was awesome to have. I feel like it definitely was a good thing for us."

The early returns are that Robinson's place on the sideline is here to stay. That's the hope.