NFL teams
Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Falcons first-round pick Keanu Neal to have knee scoped, miss 3-4 weeks

NFL, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons rookie safety Keanu Neal will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery Monday and will be sidelined three to four weeks, meaning he is expected to miss the Sept. 11 season opener against Tampa Bay.

Neal, the Falcons' first-round draft selection, suffered the right knee injury in Thursday night's preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins. He missed a tackle attempt on running back Arian Foster, then went to the ground in pain.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn hopes that the worst-case scenario is for Neal to miss three games.

"From all of us who know Keanu, you know he's going to put a thousand percent into all the rehab to get ready," Quinn said Friday. "We know kind of what he stands for and the toughness, so I'd expect the shorter-term [amount of time being out] with him. He's kind of just built that way."

This is the second injury this preseason for Neal, who also missed the preseason opener against Washington with a "trunk" injury.

The Falcons already were down one strong safety with Neal's backup, Kemal Ishmael, sidelined with a shoulder injury. Quinn said Ishmael is expected to return to practice in a limited role Sunday. The other players in Atlanta's strong safety rotation are Damian Parms and rookie Sharrod Neasman.

Quinn also said Friday that the Falcons will potentially sign a veteran free-agent safety but that the team is not considering bringing back William Moore, who was released earlier this year.

Moore, who told ESPN earlier Friday that he would "absolutely" come back to the Falcons, didn't fit well in Quinn's scheme last season.

Neal is expected to have a significant impact on the defense upon his return. He is known for his hard-hitting style, and coaches say he's already mature beyond his years.

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