Tevin Coleman Injury: Updates on Falcons RB's Ribs and Return

Alec NathanSep 20, 2015

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn announced running back Tevin Coleman was carted off the field with cracked ribs in the second quarter against the New York Giants in Week 2.

Coleman has missed the team's last two games. However, head coach Dan Quinn said, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN, that he is in for Week 5.

Continue for updates.

Coleman Could Play Through Injury; Has Recovery Options

Thursday, Sept. 24

"Coleman...can play with his cracked rib because it’s not displaced and a threat to puncturing his lung or affected his respiratory system," reported D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sept. 24. He classified the handling of Coleman as one of the "first major decisions" of Quinn's career.

Ledbetter added:

"
Because of medical advances, the team has several options for an injury that takes four to six weeks to fully heal, according to Dr. Vernon B. Williams, the director of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine in Los Angeles. ...
The Falcons will have to consider the options for reducing his level of pain and heavily padding his rib cage. ... The Falcons could used pills or pain injections to help reduce the pain. ...
There is another option that the Falcons may consider. It’s called Cryoanesthesia, which is the freezing of the century nerve.
"

Coleman Slated to Miss 'a Couple of Weeks'

Monday, Sept. 21

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted the multiple-game absence and said the running back's return would be dependent on his pain threshold. Prior to exiting in Week 2, Coleman had 32 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Coleman's Injury History, How it Affects Falcons

After hitting the shelf Aug. 5 due to a hamstring strain, Coleman returned to practice Aug. 17. However, that minor setback didn't derail Atlanta's plans to implement the speedster in Kyle Shanahan's offense alongside Devonta Freeman.

However, in Coleman's absence, Freeman has dominated opposing defenses, rushing for 209 yards and six touchdowns in the two games the rookie has missed.

With Coleman in the fold and Freeman's recent success, the Falcons offense has assumed a more multidimensional form a year after the team finished 24th in total rushing yards and 21st in yards per rush attempt.

Even if Coleman does return to the field, it's hard to see Atlanta not leaning on Freeman to supplement a passing game that features Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White.