The Falcons ended the meaningful part of their season a long time ago, but individual players still had something to play for in the final weeks.
Tony Gonzalez is taking his final lap, some players are trying to get themselves into the team’s plans for 2014 and others are preparing for free agency. One player in that last group suffered a major blow on Monday night.
Coach Mike Smith announced Tuesday that defensive tackle Corey Peters will require surgery to repair an Achilles injury. It’s a terrible blow for Peters, who turned in his best season and will now enter the offseason trying to rehab an injury that will certainly deflate the value of any contract he signs.
“This is going to be a tough offseason for Corey,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “He was injured two years ago with a foot injury and battled and went on PUP. The rehabilitation time for an Achilles injury is going to put us close to the beginning of next season, so he’s going to have to get it going and start hitting it. But he is a tough guy and we all feel for Corey.”
The Falcons will also place safety Zeke Motta on injured reserve this week. Motta fractured a vertebrae and had surgery on Sunday.