Getty Damontae Kazee #27 of the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta Falcons starting free safety Damontae Kazee tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the season, coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Tuesday.
Kazee went down in the second quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Green Bay Packers and was carted off the field. Once he fell to the ground, he grabbed the back of his left leg, and was in obvious pain while the training staff checked him out.
Backup Sharrod Neasman replaced Kazee in the game.
Falcons Enter Monday Night With Injure Safeties
The Falcons already entered the game down two safeties with Keanu Neal sidelined with a hamstring injury and Ricardo Allen out with a hyperextended elbow.
Atlanta started Kazee as well as rookie Jaylinn Hawkins at the safety spots. Hawkins ended up leaving the game with a concussion. Jamal Carter took his place in the second half.
The problem with Carter and Neasman taking over is that they struggled against the Packers on Monday leaving Atlanta unable to cover running backs and tight ends all year.
Kazee, a fifth-round draft pick out of San Diego State in 2017, tied Bears’ Kyle Fuller and Dolphins’ Xavien Howard for the league lead with seven interceptions in 2018. Since then, he has accumulated 10 interceptions and three forced fumbles in 52 career games.
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Kazee Joins Other Falcons on Injured Reserve
The Falcons experimented with playing Kazee at nickelback last season when Allen got hurt but eventually put him back in at free safety based on his ability to make more plays from his comfort zone.
Allen, who is working his way back from the hyperextended elbow, is trending upward and could resume playing as early as this week.
Cornerback A.J. Terrell remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list and it is unclear as to when he’ll return. Also, veteran corner Darqueze Dennard is on the injured reserve list following a hamstring injury.
Falcons Set to Re-Sign Ex-Cowboys Safety
With injuries plaguing the safety position, team has plans to re-sign a familiar face, safety J.J. Wilcox per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Wilcox, 28, went into the summer of 2019 with hopes to be on the Falcons depth chart at No. 3 or 4, but it didn’t work out in his favor. Atlanta gave him another shot and re-signed him this offseason, but Wilcox surprisingly didn’t make the practice squad.
Over his seven-year career, Wilcox has played in a total of 77 NFL games (39 starts) and has made 233 tackles (173 solo), 16 pass breakups, six interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Prior to signing with the Falcons in 2019, Wilcox was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2013 NFL Draft. After four years in Dallas, he went on to have stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.
Wilcox had his most notable run came with the Dallas Cowboys. After his four seasons in Dallas, Wilcox recorded 212 tackles, 15 pass defenses, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries in 38 starts as a safety.
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Falcons Starting Safety to Miss Rest of NFL Season