Falcons rookie LB Kendal Daniels ruled out with neck injury after stretcher exit

Daniels had movement in all extremities after the tackle.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 50m2 min read

What happened: Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kendal Daniels departed on a cart and stretcher during the third quarter after his helmet struck Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland's knee on a tackle attempt. Medical personnel attended to the 24-year-old for roughly 10 minutes before he left the field showing movement in his left hand, with the Bears leading 31-7 in the game in progress.

Why it matters: Daniels, named a Week 1 starter at linebacker after Atlanta selected him 134th overall out of Oklahoma in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, has started every game for the 4-4 Falcons this season. His exit leaves Atlanta without its leading tackler on the afternoon against a 5-3 Chicago squad.

By the numbers: Daniels logged a team-high seven total tackles prior to his third-quarter exit after entering the game with 22 tackles and one sack in the 2026 season. With the game in progress and Chicago ahead 31-7, the 4-4 Falcons allow 20.9 points per game on the season while the 5-3 Bears average 23.2 points.

What to watch: Atlanta will play the remainder of Sunday's game against Chicago without Daniels in the linebacker rotation while awaiting further team updates.

Sources

Yahoo NFL 2026-10-18T19:17:59.275937+00:00

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NFLInjuryAtlanta FalconsChicago BearsKendal DanielsColston Loveland

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