Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels was transported to Grady Hospital after suffering a frightening injury against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but initial reports offered reason for optimism.
Daniels reportedly had movement in all his extremities and was seen walking under his own power in the locker room after the game, according to The Athletic's Josh Kendall. The full extent of his injury remains unknown, but the Falcons later confirmed that he was alert and had movement in his extremities.
“Kendal’s a kid we all love, we all respect,” Stefanski said. “And then you have to play football, and that’s the hard part. It’s easy for me to say, ‘You got to play.’ Now, they take comfort in knowing he’s doing better, but those are moments. Those are hard.”
Stefanski reiterated that the initial reports were encouraging and added that the team hoped they would remain positive as Daniels underwent further evaluation.
All told, Daniels was down on the field and being tended to for nearly 15 minutes.
“The medical staff did an outstanding job of getting him safely off the field,” Stefanski said. “All reports so far are good. We’ll continue to pray they remain good.”
Daniels suffered the injury in the third quarter while tackling Bears tight end Colston Loveland. His facemask appeared to make contact with Loveland's knee, leaving the rookie on the ground as medical personnel rushed to his aid. Trainers eventually brought out a cart and stretcher to assist Daniels off the field as teammates gathered around him.
“He’s like, ‘Y’all go finish this off,’” quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said afterward.
Center Ryan Neuzil acknowledged how difficult it was to see a teammate go down while praising the Falcons for continuing to fight.
“That’s always tough. That’s the name of the game. Scary things happen. It’s really tough, and especially for the team to rally back after that. Made a couple key stops, and then we were able to gain some momentum after that. It was good to see just people keep fighting,” Neuzil said.
Daniels, a rookie from Oklahoma, is a key part of Atlanta's defense as the team looks to turn its season around. Sunday's injury gave the Falcons a scare, with players and coaches forced to watch as medical personnel attended to a teammate.
The Falcons are awaiting further evaluation to determine the full extent of Daniels' injury. For now, the initial reports have been encouraging.
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