Falcons linebacker/defensive end Vic Beasley will not play against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.
Beasley, who played last season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, has a unspecified shoulder injury. The team is holding him out for precautionary reasons and expect that he will play against Miami on Thursday.
Also, running back Terron Ward (ankle), strong safety Kemal Ishmael (shoulder), center JakeReed (foot) and kicker Matt Bryant (tightness) will not play in the second exhibition game.
Defensive end Dwight Freeney, whom the Falcons want to pair with Beasley in the nickel package, is set to make his first appearance with the team.
The Falcons will now have to wait a week to see them work in tandem in a game. Freeney is slated to play the right defensive end and Beasley the left end in pass-rush or nickel situations.
“I think Vic is a tremendous talent,” Freeney said on Tuesday. “He has a lot to learn. The upside is absolutely amazing for him. I’m going to try to help him out as much as I can.
“I’m going to navigate him through all of the troubled waters and all of the things that he’s going to run into that he hasn’t experienced yet. I’ll try to catch him up to speed as much as possible.”
Beasley, who played last season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, did not have offseason surgery. The Falcons did not specify which shoulder was injured.
Beasley played in all 16 games with the tear during his rookie season. He said he suffered the shoulder injury while playing at Clemson, but wasn’t aware of the labrum tear until he had an MRI test on the shoulder before the season.
Beasley missed time with a shoulder strain during OTAs and left the Jaguars game early because of discomfort. He played in about half of the defensive snaps last season.
The Falcons selected Beasley with the No. 8 overall pick after he set Clemson’s sacks record. Beasley didn’t reach his stated goal of 10 sacks but had a solid season with four sacks, 26 tackles, two forced fumbles, three passes defended and an interception.
The Falcons (1-0) are set to face the Browns (0-1) at 8 p.m. Thursday at First Energy Stadium.
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