John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Mon 8/16/21 12:33 AM

Atkins was waived by the Falcons on Saturday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins played 25 percent of Atlanta's defensive snaps in Friday's preseason opener and logged a tackle. The 27-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Lions in 2018 and 2019 before he opted out last year, but he'll now seek out another chance to compete for a 53-man roster spot ahead of the 2021 campaign.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Wed 8/4/21 3:46 PM

The Falcons activated Atkins (undisclosed) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins missed the first five practices of training camp due to his placement on the COVID list, but he can now join teammates on the field. The 28-year-old is competing to stick with the Falcons in a reserve capacity.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Wed 7/28/21 3:45 PM

The Falcons placed Atkins (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins won't be eligible to join teammates at training camp until he clears all protocols related to COVID-19. He hasn't suited up for NFC action since 2019, when he appeared in 12 games with Lions.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Thu 6/17/21 1:01 PM

Atkins signed with the Falcons on Thursday, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins, who played his college ball at the University of Georgia, appeared in 14 games for the Lions in 2018 and 2019, starting six games and recording 14 solo tackles. He opted out of the 2020 season.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Thu 6/3/21 1:06 AM

Atkins was waived by the Lions on Wednesday.
EDGE Analysis
The 27-year-old opted out of the 2020 season and won't stick with the Lions through the offseason. Atkins appeared in 12 games in 2019 and totaled 20 tackles (13 solo) as a rotational defensive tackle.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Sat 8/1/20 10:13 AM

Atkins announced he would opt of the season Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
EDGE Analysis
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Atkins does not qualify for the high-risk opt-out, so he'll be slated to make $150,000 this year. The backup defensive tackle has piled together 22 tackles in two seasons with the Lions.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Tue 10/15/19 12:09 AM

Atkins was promoted to the Lions' active roster before Monday's loss to the Packers.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins was called up to give the Lions some extra defensive line depth for Monday's contest, as he contributed one tackle in the loss. It remains to be seen if this was a matchup specific move or if Atkins will remain on the active roster going forward.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Tue 7/23/19 7:37 PM

The Lions activated Atkins (undisclosed) off their Non-Football Injury list Tuesday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins was dealing with an undisclosed issue, but it seems the injury wasn't serious enough to force him to miss the start of camp. The Georgia product recorded two tackles while suiting up in two games for Detroit last season.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Fri 7/19/19 9:16 PM

The Lions placed Atkins on their Non-Football Injury list Friday with an undisclosed issue.
EDGE Analysis
The exact nature and severity of the injury is unclear. Atkins recorded two tackles over two games in his rookie season with Detroit. The Lions begin training camp Wednesday.

John Atkins
IL/DT FA
Fri 1/18/19 4:55 PM

Atkins recorded two tackles in two games for Detroit in 2018.
EDGE Analysis
Atkins went undrafted out of Georgia last offseason and found his way to Detroit after spending the majority of the year with New England. He isn't much of a threat as a pass rusher, but he could develop into a quality early-down run-stuffer down the road.