FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Storm Norton has been designated to return to practice.
Head coach Raheem Morris announced the news Wednesday during his Week 8 press conference. The Falcons host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Norton has been on injured reserve due to an ankle injury since the Falcons' initial roster came out on Aug. 26. He and defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham took the team's two allotted injured reserve spots with a designation to return. That allows a player to return later in the year, whereas someone like offensive lineman Kaleb McGary, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve at the same time, cannot return this season. Graham was activated last Saturday.
The Falcons now have 21 days to activate Norton to the 53-man roster or he will automatically be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Norton sustained his injury early in training camp and missed his first open practice on Aug. 1. It wasn't until Aug. 20 that a report came out stating Norton underwent ankle surgery and was expected to miss 6-8 weeks. Last week marked eight weeks, so right on schedule.
The Falcons have been without McGary, their starting right tackle, since the season began. Since Norton, the primary backup, was also out, Elijah Wilkinson entered the year as the starter.
Even though Wilkinson's performance has been praised through six games by coaches and teammates alike, the Falcons will still benefit from having Norton back healthy — for depth purposes, if nothing else.
Case in point: Starting left tackle Jake Matthews injured his ankle in the Week 6 win against the Buffalo Bills. He left the game in the second quarter and did not return in the second half. Michael Jerrell played in Matthews' absence. Matthews was questionable entering the Week 7 game but ultimately played in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Norton is now another option if an issue were to arise again. He's a swing tackle, so he could cover the left or right side.
The 6-foot-7, 310-pound lineman joined the Falcons in 2023 and has since played in 31 games. He made one start at right tackle last season in the Falcons' Week 4 win against the New Orleans Saints.
Norton's resume includes six seasons of work with 22 starts and 67 appearances across three teams. His career began in 2017.
