Outside linebacker Jalon Walker will miss the 2026 NFL season with a torn ACL, the Atlanta Falcons announced Wednesday.
Walker was carted off the field at training camp a day earlier, having gone down after a play in which he was rushing the passer. The injury was quickly feared to be an ACL tear when the second-year pro was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
The Falcons selected Walker, the 2024 Butkus Award for the Georgia Bulldogs, with the No. 15 pick in the 2025 draft. He immediately bolstered Atlanta’s beleaguered pass rush, recording 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in a strong rookie seasons.
Walker’s work helped bring the Falcons from the bottom of the NFL’s sacks leaderboard in 2024 to the second most (57) last season, with Atlanta trailing only the Denver Broncos (68).
Walker expressed his excitement about the upcoming season after the Falcons’ first day of training camp. He said he stayed local during the offseason, splitting his training between the Falcons’ practice facility and the University of Georgia.