TAMPA, Fla. –the Atlanta Falcons secondary keys will not have keys Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

hawk safety justin simmonsEntering the day listed as questionable to play due to a hamstring injury, he is officially inactive and will not play at Raymond James Stadium.

Simmons went through pregame warm-ups but was clearly not well enough to play. The 31-year-old started all seven games for Atlanta this season and recorded 28 tackles, three passes defended, one tackle for loss and one interception.

He first suffered a hamstring injury in the Falcons’ 38-20 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. After being limited in practice the following week, Simmons was questionable entering Atlanta’s Week 7 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, but played all 60 defensive snaps. snapshot

Without Simmons, the Falcons are expected to start safety Richie Grant alongside Jessie Bates III; Falcons head coach/defensive back Jerry Gray is pleased, too.

“He is confident in what he does,” Gray said of Grant on Thursday. “I think he’s speaking more in the way you want him to as a football player. Now he knows I can go out there and play at this level.” We expect from Richie; When we put you there, I guess he wasn’t expecting it either.”

Here are the rest of the Falcons’ inactives:
– linebacker Troy Andersen
– defender Brandon Dorlus
– defensive lineman Kentavius ​​Street
-Offensive tackle Brandon Parker
– offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson
– running back Jase McClellan

Atlanta (4-3) and Tampa Bay (4-3) will kick off the NFC South bracket on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.