Falcons coach Dan Quinn said cornerback Jalen Collins is set to make his season debut against the Chargers on Sunday.
Collins missed the first four games this season because of an NFL suspension for performance-enhancing substances. He was eligible to play in the past two games but the Falcons didn’t add him to active roster.
“It wasn’t a case of him not being ready,” Quinn said Thursday. “He was fit. He came in great shape. It wasn’t a negative reflection upon him, we just ended up going with who we have. Some of the corners have a very significant role on special teams. It was a matter of (not) putting someone else down to bring him up.”
The Falcons selected Collins in the second round of the 2015 draft out of LSU. He struggled during his rookie season, especially in coverage, and then the suspension set back his development.
Quinn said Collins would back up starters Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford with Brian Poole as the nickel back.
“On times we match on people you will say Jalen inside but we’d like to keep him outside,” Quinn said.
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