Da’Shawn Hand is officially done for the season with a quad injury, a gut punch for an Atlanta Falcons defensive line that is absolutely reeling early in Week 1. This isn’t just another injury, it’s a massive blow to a room that was already missing key players. Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Hand’s season is over, with quad surgery already on the schedule.
The QB Room Was Already Shaking
Honestly, the Falcons have just been hammered by injuries to kick off the season. It’s been a brutal watch from the jump. Remember Tua Tagovailoa’s back spasms in practice? Then backup Cooper Rush got the exact same thing on Saturday. Talk about starting your season with a health crisis. But even with all that, the defensive line is the most plagued position right now.
Defensive Line Decimated
Before Hand’s injury, Atlanta was already without two of their best pass rushers. First, it was Jalon Walker tearing his ACL, an injury suffered near the end of practice. ESPN’s Marc Raimondi reported the Falcons confirmed the torn ACL on Wednesday. And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, James Pearce Jr. was hit with an eight-game suspension by the NFL for violating the personal conduct policy, stemming from domestic violence charges back in February. He’s not eligible to be reinstated until November 2nd. Losing those two, especially early, was already a huge problem for Atlanta.
Now, with Da’Shawn Hand’s season-ending quad injury, the room is completely decimated. Hand, who’s earned $9 million throughout his career, was supposed to be a valuable free-agent pickup. Last season, the Falcons were second in the NFL in sacks, but with these losses, it’s anyone’s guess what this defensive line can even accomplish. This “most questionable position” just keeps suffering.
The Falcons are staring down a division game on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, and they’ll have to find a way to win without Hand. What a start to the season for Atlanta, and not in a good way.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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