Falcons Place Starting LG Elijah Wilkinson on Injured Reserve

The Atlanta Falcons will be without starting left Elijah Wilkinson for the foreseeable future.

After missing the entire week of practice due to a knee injury, Wilkinson was ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, but the story doesn't end there.

Wilkinson's absence will be an extended one, as the Falcons placed him on injured reserve, carrying a mandatory four-week absence. He'll be eligible to return on Dec. 4, when the Falcons host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13.

When Wilkinson missed Atlanta's Week 3 road game against the Seattle Seahawks due to a personal matter, veteran Colby Gossett received the starting nod and held his own. However, backup center Matt Hennessy, who started all 17 games last year, handled first team snaps in place of Wilkinson during practice.

Another player in the mix to fill in for Wilkinson is Chuma Edoga, who Atlanta signed just before the start of the season and split practice reps with Gossett leading up to the Seattle game.

The decision to place Wilkinson on injured reserve was just one of a flurry of moves the Falcons made Saturday, as the team also activated running back Cordarrelle Patterson from IR, released outside linebacker Quinton Bell and elevated safety Jovante Moffatt and offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil from the practice squad.

Neuzil saw snaps all throughout the interior offensive line during training camp, giving him added versatility. With Hennessy seemingly in line to start against Los Angeles, Neuzil will serve as Atlanta's backup center behind Drew Dalman.

The Falcons, now down a key cog on the left side of their offensive line, will look to defend home turf against the Chargers at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.