Falcons to sign ex-Jaguar Michael Bennett

Falcons also work out Robert Ayers, Kony Ealy
Defensive tackle Michael Bennett was a 2015 draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Credit: John Raoux

Credit: John Raoux

Defensive tackle Michael Bennett was a 2015 draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As a result of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett’s ankle injury, the Falcons signed defensive tackle Michael Bennett and released Justin Zimmer on Tuesday.

Jarrett went down with 3:19 left in the third quarter Sunday against the Bengals and did not return. He played only 37 of 73 defensive snaps (51 percent) in the game.

Bennett, 25, who’s 6-foot-2 and 287 pounds, was a sixth-round pick by Jacksonville in 2015. A former player at Ohio State, Bennett has played in 14 NFL games, but has no starts.

Jarrett could become the fourth defensive starter to miss some action because of injury this season.

“Yeah, he had an ankle sprain, so it’s definitely sore, and I’ll have a better assessment for you for Wednesday, but yeah, it was tough not having him go,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said on Monday. “I think you guys that have been around him know how tough he is, so for him to have to be out and not be able to finish because he is all-in as it gets and as tough as it gets. That was a tough blow for us.”

The Falcons also worked out defensive ends Robert Ayers and Kony Ealy on Tuesday.