Sunday was a pretty rotten day for the Atlanta Falcons. Not only did the team drop a close 27-24 game to the Indianapolis Colts, but they also lost starting safety Keanu Neal for the rest of the 2019 season after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon on a non-contact play.
Neal collapsed to the ground near the end of the second half of Sunday’s game in Indianapolis after the Colts ran a play that ended in an incomplete pass in the red zone. While sprinting towards the ball, the fourth-year pro felt pain in his ankle and fell to the ground in immediate pain.
The Florida alum slammed his helmet to the ground in pain, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct foul and drawing the ire of many fans.
The Falcons later announced that Neal had torn his left Achilles tendon, an injury that will take up to 9 months to completely heal and rehab. This will cause him to miss the remainder of the 2019 season.
It’s a cruel twist of fate for the 2017 Pro Bowler, who also missed nearly all of last season after tearing his ACL in Week 1 of the docket.
Neal is expected to be cleared to return to action for the beginning of next season.
