[ad_1]
Atlanta Falcons
Freestyle halfback Devonta Freeman qualifies for the injured reserve, another major setback for a team that has already lost several key players.
Coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday that Freeman's groin injury was more serious than initially expected, forcing him to undergo surgery.
In another move related to the injury, the Falcons signed kicker Giorgio Tavecchio. He will fill at least one game for
Matt Bryant
, who straightened his right hamstring by scoring a 57-yard goal in the 34-29 win over
buccaneers
.
A die
NFL
The highest-paid half-half, Freeman is the fifth Atlanta player to be part of the injured Reservists this season. He follows the guarantees Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, linebacker Deion Jones and the offensive guard
Andy Levitre
.
Neal, Allen and Levitre are all out for the season. The Falcons hope Jones, dismissed by a foot problem since the first week, can return after missing the eight games required.
Freeman has been slowed by various injuries over the past two seasons. This year, he missed three games because of a bruised knee in an early season defeat in Philadelphia. When he returned for a game in Pittsburgh, he was injured on foot and also suffered groin pain that made him lose Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.
"After the game against Pittsburgh, where Devonta was injured at the foot, we thought he was suffering from widespread groin pain," Quinn said in a statement. "As the week passed, we decided to put him through some tests and it was decided that he would need a procedure that would place him in the casualty pool. he'll be able to send it back season, but we'll have a better idea of it in the coming weeks. "
Freeman will have to stay at least eight games in the first division, which means that he will not be eligible to return for the Falcons (2-4) before the last game of the regular season.
Freeman signed his big contract after two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, earning him a seat on the board.
Pro Bowl
. But he suffered two concussions and a knee injury in 2017, which caused him to miss two games and clearly limited his effectiveness even when he was on the pitch. It plunged to 865 rushing yards and 36 passing passes, two important spillovers from the previous two seasons.
In order to keep Freeman healthy, the Falcons did not use it during the pre-season. Freeman spoke optimistically of being fully recovered and eager to regain his old form, but these shots went bad in the first game.
Now, his long-term future with the Falcons is uncertain.
Tevin Coleman, who replaced No. 1, is in the final year of his contract. The Falcons must decide whether to invest in a new contract for Coleman, which would probably involve cutting ties with Freeman and undermining a salary cap, or taking a totally different direction. Rookie Ito Smith has demonstrated his potential and would be a much cheaper alternative than Freeman or Coleman for 2019.
Tavecchio's signing was expected after Bryant was sidelined for the Monday night match against
New York Giants
. The Falcons are absent the following weekend, while the 43-year-old kicker has three full weeks to recover before Atlanta plays Washington on Nov. 4.
Tavecchio spent last season with the Oakland Raiders, scoring 16 of his 21 field goal attempts, three more than 50 yards and one more point, one point behind. He was with the Falcons for the final pre-season game, familiarizing him with the coaching staff and making a logical choice to intervene when Bryant was injured.
___
For more NFL AP coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NFLfootball and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link
