On Monday, the Falcons received confirmation that starting safety and key contributor Erik Harris would be out for the season after tearing his pec. The veteran exited Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Panthers early in the game, which the Falcons would go on to win. Harris’s impact on the defense may go unnoticed, but Dean Pees loves the leadership, communication, and understanding of the defense that he provided.
Harris recorded 64 tackles and eight passes defended through a dozen games, which is decent production. He’s the team’s third-leading tackler on an extremely inexpensive contract. As far as value goes, Harris has been more than a successful free agent signing. Since the Falcons only have two safeties under contract for next season, I wouldn’t be shocked if Terry Fontenot explored bringing Harris back, which depends on his recovery. Well, he let the world know via Twitter that his surgery was a success, which is the first step.
Successful surgery! Road to Recovery Begins Today. #HavingFaith #RiseUp
— Erik Harris (@e_harris_31) December 16, 2021
His injury, though, couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Falcons, who are going on the road to San Francisco against a physical, run-heavy offense to keep their playoff hopes alive. Harris would’ve been an extremely valuable piece for Pees in this particular matchup, but the NFL is all about attrition. Atlanta has to be able to deal with injuries because every team does; Harris shouldn’t make or break the team’s season.
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