Atlanta Falcons sign Eli Ankou, put Josh Ali on IR list

Eli Ankou – refer to caption – CC BY-SA

On Wednesday, the Atlanta Falcons signed defensive tackle Eli Ankou from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad to their active roster and put wide receiver Josh Ali on injured reserve (IR).

Ankou’s return to Atlanta marked his third stint with the team. He had previously joined the roster in May and August of 2021 but was released in less than a month each time.

During his time with the Falcons, Ankou played in 33 games with three starts, accumulating 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and two and a half sacks.

After his second release from the Falcons, Ankou had a successful stint with the Bills. He joined their practice squad in November 2021 and played six games by the end of the year, recording ten tackles and a sack.

Over the following year, Ankou moved back and forth between the Bills’ practice squad and active roster before signing a future contract in January 2023. He stayed on the Bills’ practice squad after training camp in August until this week.

Ali’s journey to Atlanta

Ali had an ankle injury before the Falcons’ London trip to face the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. On Thursday, the Falcons announced he would not travel with the team.

Ali initially arrived in Atlanta for a tryout during the rookie minicamp after going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. Although he was not immediately signed, he later joined the Falcons at the end of the 2022 training camp.

Starting on the practice squad, he eventually moved up to the active roster towards the end of the season. He played in the final two games but did not record any catches.

Ali secured a reserve/futures contract with Atlanta in January and made the initial 53-man roster in August 2023. However, he was not included in the active lineup for Week 1 and 2 of the season.

The Falcons have a solid start to the season, winning their first two games and accumulating 49 points against the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers. However, the team has scored only 13 points in total after their Week 2 victory over the Packers.