Falcons rookie Anterio Thompson has revealed the stunning diagnosis he received this past May, ending his NFL career before it could even begin.
Thompson shared an update to Instagram last Thursday, his 24th birthday, saying that he is “Blessed to make it to 24. Mentally, I’ve been better than anyone would be in my situation. As a football player you know one day you’ll have to hang up your cleats but you just hope it’s on your own terms. May 8th, 2026 I was told I would never play football again due to a genetic mutation in my spinal cord that I had no idea about.
“It’s hard to explain what it feels like to go through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the matter of seconds. I believe everything happens for a reason and this was nothing but God protecting and giving me a reason to be closer to Him.”
The Falcons placed Thompson on their Non-Football Injury list on July 29th after drafting him 208th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Washington, where he played his last collegiate year after time at Iowa and Western Michigan.
Thompson had 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss at Washington last season. Thompson did not participate in the Falcons’ training camp over the summer due to his condition.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about Thompson’s status during his press conference Friday, before Thompson’s Instagram post made the rounds, but did not have an update on the rookie defensive tackle’s condition.
For now, Thompson will remain on Atlanta’s roster as a reserve, unless he chooses to officially medically retire from football.
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