The Atlanta Falcons suffered a disappointing 18-12 loss in the season opener against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, but things have progressed further south with injuries to key players defensively, including third-year linebacker Deion Jones.

According to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, the Falcons placed Jones on injured reserve Tuesday due to a nagging foot issue.

The 23-year-old quickly became a standout star on that side of the ball in his first two years in the league, earning his first Pro Bowl nod last year after racking up a career-high 138 tackles along with three interceptions. His loss is a significant blow, as he has become a crucial piece to the puzzle in the front seven, helping them become one of the better units in the league.

Head coach Dan Quinn already voiced that Jones is expected to return at some point this season, but he will miss a minimum of eight weeks due to this designation. He got off to a solid start last Thursday, notching a team-best nine tackles and an interception in the season opener against the Falcons.

This news comes shortly after the Falcons announced that star safety Keanu Neal suffered a season-ending torn ACL. These injuries put the Falcons in a bit of a tough spot with a pair of their key defenders out of the mix for a significant amount of time.

Their Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers now becomes an even bigger challenge, as they may have difficulty keeping down star quarterback Cam Newton. The Falcons must compensate with their play in other areas while leaning on their replacements in the starting lineup to provide steady play in their absence.

Rookie Emmanuel Smith could get the call to take up the starting spot in place of Jones over the next several weeks.