Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith announced Monday that cornerback Brent Grimes will be placed on the injured reserve list, ending his season after just one game.

Per Jay Adams, Smith indicated that Asante Samuel will take over Grimes' starting spot on the left side, and also noted that the team will reconfigure its nickel package as a result of the injury.

"Brent's made a number of plays. Since he's been here, he's been a cornerstone at the corner position, both left and right," Smith said. "It's the next-man-up mentality, and that's how you have to approach it. We've got a number of guys that have play time on our roster right now, and it's something we'll, as a coaching staff, put together what we feel like is the best plan in terms of how we'll configure our nickel package."

Samuel's acquisition over the offseason just became that much more important. We'll see in the coming days what the Falcons do with their nickel package.

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