Matt Hansen (45) with Akeem Dent (52) and Robert James (50) at Atlanta Falcons minicamp (photo courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons).
Special for Atlanta Field Report
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matt Hansen injured his knee while training on Wednesday, June 27. In a conversation with Atlanta Field Report, Hansen confirmed that he ruptured his patellar tendon.
The 22-year-old linebacker from Rhode Island underwent successful surgery on June 29 and will begin the process of healing and rehabilitation.
Hansen, via Twitter, vowed to return to football “better and stronger” than before.
According to his agent Ryan Scarpa of Athlete Advocates, the recovery time for Hansen’s knee is somewhere in the four- to six-month range. The early end of the recovery period would land somewhere near Week 13. If his recovery takes closer to six months, his return could fall on Week 17.
Hansen was signed by the Falcons in 2011 as an undrafted free agent and released as one of the final cuts of training camp. He was re-signed by Atlanta prior to Week 17 and worked on the team’s practice squad.
Hansen has been with the Falcons throughout offseason workout programs and participated in Atlanta’s rookie minicamp, Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp. His injury is a blow to the team in its search for someone who can earn a spot as the backup weakside linebacker and on special teams.
The Falcons have not announced how they will handle Hansen’s roster spot.
