Falcons CB Isaiah Oliver out for season with knee injury

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Falcons' Isaiah Oliver out for season with knee injury

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 10/5/21

Things continue to get more frustrating for the 1-3 Atlanta Falcons as they prepare for Sunday's game against the 1-3 New York Jets in London.

ESPN's Mike Rothstein reports that Atlanta starting nickel cornerback Isaiah Oliver will miss the rest of the season and require surgery to repair the knee injury he suffered in this past Sunday's 34-30 loss to the Washington Football Team.

Oliver was carted off the field Sunday and placed on injured reserve Tuesday, meaning he must miss a minimum of three games per league rules. It now seems he won't return until next year:

Looks of frustration on #Falcons corner Isaiah Oliver's face as he was carted off the field with a knee injury. He's out for the game. Caught by @bkfox5sports pic.twitter.com/4nedbGuUcR
— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) October 3, 2021

As Tori McElhaney noted for the club's website, Oliver found a new home in the Atlanta defense during the 2020 season when he was shifted inside to nickel, and the 25-year-old earned a Pro Football Focus score of 90.2 for his performance in the 17-14 win over the New York Giants in Week 3 of the current campaign. Head coach Arthur Smith and defensive coordinator Dean Pees both had high praise for Oliver since the start of the season, but it now appears rookie and fifth-round draft pick Avery Williams will fill the empty spot in the lineup.

Oliver ends his season with 11 total tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three pass breakups.

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