Atlanta Falcons starting safety Keanu Neal was dealt another brutal blow on the injury front after spending almost all of 2018 on the bench due to a torn ACL he sustained in Week 1 last season. This time, it’s Neal’s Achilles tendon.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Neal is expected to have torn his Achilles in the second quarter of Atlanta’s 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Neal will miss the whole NFL season as a result.
#Falcons S Keanu Neal is believed to have torn his Achilles in today’s game, source said. When the MRI confirms, he’ll have surgery this week and should be good to go well before the 2020 season. Another bad-luck injury for Neal, but he’s battled back before.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 22, 2019
As many Achilles ruptures tend to be, Neal’s injury was completely non-contact but will put an end to his season anyways. Neal was eventually carted off, but he threw his helmet off in pain and frustration after the injury and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty that was accepted by the Colts and eventually led to a touchdown.
Prayers up for Keanu Neal pic.twitter.com/P17W1Vpg0w
— Eric Rosenthal (@ericsports) September 22, 2019
After tearing his ACL less than 60 minutes into last season, Keanu Neal was undoubtedly ready to put together a solid 2019 campaign. Now, Neal will have a similar fate this year and have to watch his team battle from the sidelines for the entirety of the season.
At least early reports and his current timetable would suggest that Neal will be ready for the start of next season if all goes well. Next up at safety for Atlanta is Kemal Ishmael with Ricardo Allen still holding down the free safety spot. The Tennessee Titans come to Atlanta for a Week 4 tilt against the Falcons this Sunday at 1:00 ET.
