Off to a 3-3 start that places them in a tie atop the NFC South, the Falcons will be tasked with staying on that pace without one of their starting cornerbacks. Casey Hayward is now on IR.
The Falcons moved the free agency acquisition to their injured list because of a shoulder injury. Arthur Smith said Monday the team worried about this injury affecting Hayward for a while. He will be out at least four weeks because of the ailment.
At 33, Hayward joins the Saints’ Chris Harris as the NFL’s oldest active corners. The Falcons signed Hayward to a two-year, $11MM deal this offseason and have used him as a starter opposite A.J. Terrell. The former Packers draftee has made 118 career starts and is now with his fourth franchise, having teamed with Gus Bradley with both the Chargers and Raiders. Pro Football Focus graded Hayward as a top-15 corner in 2021; the advanced metrics site has assigned him a middle-of-the-pack mark (50th) thus far this season.
This Hayward news comes just after the Falcons brought Isaiah Oliver off IR. Terrell suffered a thigh injury during the team’s win over the 49ers, but he remains on Atlanta’s active roster. The Falcons are still in good shape, activations-wise, having only used one of their eight IR-return spots this season. Hayward figures to be one of Atlanta’s IR-return moves this year. The team passed on activating Deion Jones from IR, instead trading the veteran linebacker to the Browns.
Darren Hall and Dee Alford were in for Hayward and Terrell against San Francisco, and AtlantaFalcons.com’s Tori McElhaney expects the former to take over for Hayward alongside Terrell. A fourth-round 2021 draft choice out of San Diego State, Hall played a season-high 38 defensive snaps against the 49ers.