The Atlanta Falcons defense has been dealt another huge blow with the news that safety Ricardo Allen suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in their loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Falcons' S Ricardo Allen tore his Achilles and is out for the season, per source. Signed a three-year, $19.5 million extension before season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2018
Allen now joins fellow safety Keanu Neal as a season-long casualty. Neal suffered a torn ACL in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Starting linebacker Deion Jones is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury but is expected to return later in the season. Defensive ends Takk McKinley and Derrick Shelby were also both missing during the Saints game due to groin injuries.
Head coach Dan Quinn said after the game that he and GM Thomas Dimitroff have talked about adding outside help in the wake of their current injury situation.
“Yes, Thomas and I discussed that, and we’ll continue to discuss that afterward,” Quinn said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We have some other guys with some versatility that we’ll try to plug around. We’ll see what the length of the injuries are. That would certainly make a difference if we went outside to look for somebody else. If it’s shorter term, then likely we’d stay inside.”
Allen, 26, had just signed a three-year, $19.5 million extension with the Falcons this offseason. He is considered the quarterback of the Falcons defense and his absence will be a tough one for the team to cope with.
With both Allen and Neal out, Damontae Kazee, Jordan Richards and Keith Tandy are now the current safety options for the Falcons. Eric Reid remains a high-profile veteran safety option still available on the free-agent market for the Falcons if they decide to go that route.
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