The Atlanta Falcons placed Jase McClellan on injured reserve on Wednesday because of a knee injury that has kept the rookie running back out of practice since Nov. 28.

Because NFL rules require players on injured reserve to miss at least four games, McClellan will not be back on the field during the regular season because the Falcons have four games remaining on their 2024 slate. McClellan could return if Atlanta makes the playoffs.

Atlanta heads into Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a 6-7 record, leaving them one game out of the lead in the NFC South. Tampa Bay tops the division at 7-6, but the Buccaneers lost both their games against the Falcons this season.

Atlanta is two games out in the race for the final wild-card spot in the NFC, with the Washington Commanders at 8-5.

After McClellan ran for 890 yards and eight touchdowns on 180 carries in 2023 for Alabama, the Falcons chose the running back in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on April 27. In the preseason, McClellan led Atlanta with 97 rushing yards, and his 24 carries included one touchdown.

In the regular season, though, Bijan Robinson with 215 carries for 977 yards and eight touchdowns and Tyler Allgeier with 102 carries for 508 yards and three touchdowns have dominated the duty in the backfield for the Falcons.

McClellan has played in two games. He ran for 17 yards on five carries in a 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 20 and 15 yards on eight carries in a 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 17.

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To fill McClellan’s roster spot, the Falcons signed running back Carlos Washington Jr. from their practice squad.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.