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Security Keanu Neal suffered a tear from the ACL and went out for the season in a tough blow to the Atlanta Falcons' defense.
Neal was injured in the first half of the 18-12 Falcons' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first game of the NFL season on Thursday. He returned to play in the second half before leaving the game for good.
A 2017 Pro Bowler, Neal had three forced fumbles, two chess recoveries and one interception last season. He was credited with two tackles Thursday before leaving the game.
Damontae Kazee, a fifth round pick in 2017, replaced Neal after the injury. Kazee's goal in the tight final, Dallas Goedert, while he was trying to catch a pass in the fourth quarter, led to an interception of Deion Jones.
Last week, the Falcons traded a conditional 7th round pick to the New England Patriots last week to allow Jordan Richards to secure Neal's safety. Richards was inactive against the Eagles while he had just joined the team.
Vaughn McClure and Associated Press of ESPN contributed to this report.
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