Falcons linebacker Brooks Reed had surgery to repair his groin that was bothering him all offseason, head coach Dan Quinn said on Thursday after the 20-19 win over the Ravens.

“We’ll anticipate him being back in town over the next couple of days,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “Then, we’ll take his status for the first week, when we get into that. He’s already had (the surgery).”

Reed, who could miss up to six weeks of action, played sparingly in exhibition games against the Jets and Dolphins, after injuring the groin on Aug. 3.

Reed, the team’s biggest free agency pickup, sat out most of the offseason program with a groin injury.

Reed played four seasons with the Houston Texans. He was signed to a five-year, $22 million contract, with $9 million guaranteed by the Falcons in free agency.

Reed, who could miss up to six weeks, is a key piece to the defense, which is hoping to rebound from being ranked last in the league in 2014.

The injury was originally announced as a hip strain, but Reed said it was a groin injury. He also said the groin injury suffered on Aug. 3 was unrelated to the groin injury he suffered over the offseason.

Kroy Bierman, a converted defensive end, started at strongside linebacker for the Falcons against the Ravens. He’ll be backed up by O’Brien Schofield.

Reed is likely a candidate to be put on the team’s short-term injured reserve list.

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