Falcons defensive lineman Calais Campbell was one of the team’s biggest free-agent additions over the offseason, both literally and figuratively. The 36-year-old has spent the first week and an half of training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
At the start of camp, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said that he wasn’t worried about Campbell long term, and it sounds like the team is expecting the veteran defensive lineman back fairly soon.
On Saturday, Smith said Campbell was “trending in the right direction” and that he’s getting closer to a return, per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said they are close to getting back Calais Campbell, that it’s “trending in the right direction.”
Campbell is on the NFI list.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) August 5, 2023
In other Falcons injury news, the team appears to have avoided disaster when it comes to cornerback Jeff Okudah. The former No. 3 overall pick was carted off the field on Friday. Smith gave an update Saturday, saying Okudah was likely to return by the early weeks of the season.
Atlanta also gets back Feleipe Franks, Chris Blair and Ikenna Enechukwu after all three players cleared waivers and landed on the injured reserve list.