Keanu Neal with the Falcons in 2016 (Wikipedia Commons. Author: Thomson200)
Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal‘s 2018 season has come to an end after just one game.
The 23-year-old safety tore his ACL in the first half of Thursday night’s 18-12 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Neal re-entered the field after halftime but eventually left the game definitively in the third quarter.
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Neal — a first-round pick by the Falcons out of the University of Florida in 2016 — played in the 2017 Pro Bowl and finished last season with just one interception and three forced fumbles. On Thursday, he logged a pair of tackles. Given his productivity thus far, it doesn’t appear that the Falcons will suffer immensely from losing Neal.
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Second-year safety Damontae Kazee replaced Neal in Atlanta’s season opener this week.
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Another NFL player who was listed as injured on Friday was New York Giants outside linebacker Olivier Vernon, who will be unable to play in the team’s opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday due to an ankle injury he suffered during practice last week.
Meanwhile, Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey — who had recently sustained an ankle injury — is now listed as healthy to play in Sunday’s game.
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