Its week 16 of what has been a very disappointing 2013 for the Atlanta Falcons and they are in San Francisco playing the 49ers for their final game at Candlestick Park. During this game, defensive tackle Corey Peters is on the field for one last time this season, when it happens.
Just one play knocked one of the Falcons better defensive players out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury. Peters recovery from surgery has kept him off the field for OTA’s and mini-camp. Now as the players are in Flowery Branch ready for camp, he’s ready to get back on the field with them. For now, he’s still on the Physically Unable To Perform list (PUP) at the moment.
“It’s been tough at first,” Peters said as he arrived to check in for training camp. “It’s been a long process, but I’m happy to be kind of at the end seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel great. Still have a bit of work to do, but feel very good.”
Peters did not say when he will be back on the field, but he is joined on the PUP list by second year safety Zeke Motta.
The injury came during a career season for the Falcons defensive tackle and very likely cost him the opportunity to earn a long term contract in the NFL. His 46 combined tackles, five sacks, and two passes defended were basically all for not with the injury. However, the Falcons did decide to bring him back on a one year deal.
The Achilles injury has hit others within recent Falcons history. Outside linebacker Kroy Biermann missed pretty much all of the 2013 season, after sustaining the injury against the Rams in week two of last season. A former Falcon, Brent Grimes also dealt with the same season-ending injury. Peters says he’s relied on the advice of both players trying to come back.
“We’ve kind of had some bad luck back to when Brent was here,” Peters said. “I’ve had an opportunity to speak with him, as well as Kroy. I’m very optimistic, I feel good about it. It’s not the kind of surgery that it used to be.”
While Corey Peters can’t be on the field with the rest of the defensive linemen, he’s had to take in the view/words of his new position coach Brian Cox from the sidelines. Peters says that Cox has made quite an impression on him and the rest of the group.
“He’s a very intense guy,” Peters said. “I think he’s going to bring a different kind of attitude to the defensive line, I think we’re going to be a nastier group this year. I look forward to how he’s going to be in training camp. I think that he’ll be very entertaining on television as well.”
That television that Peters is talking about is of course HBO’s Hard Knocks and they have already begun filming in Flowery Branch. In fact if you follow me on Instagram @DanMathews27, you can see a message that HBO/NFL Films has for fans who are attending open to the public practices for training camp.
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