Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley said he’s considering surgery to repair the torn labrum in his right shoulder.
“It’s a day-by-day thing,” Beasley said Monday as players cleaned out their lockers following the end of their season. “I haven’t decided if I will have the surgery or not. If I don’t, I will just rehab it.”
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.
The shoulder labrum is a piece of cartilage that attaches to the socket and helps to reinforce the joint. Depending on the severity of the labrum tear, it can be treated with rest and rehabilitation or surgery.
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 this 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.
Beasley faced a succession of top left tackles early in the season. He eventually moved to the left side of the defense to face what are typically less athletic right tackles but opponents increasingly dedicated an extra blocker to “chip” or double team him on passing plays.
Highlights for Beasley included an interception while in pass coverage against the 49ers and a sack-strip of Cam Newton that sent the Panthers to their only loss of the season. He had two sacks and a forced fumble over his first three pro games.
Beasley said his rookie year was a “great learning experience” and that he has some specific things he wants to work on before his second pro season.
“Get stronger,” he said. “Being a more effective pass rush. Working on my main (pass rush) moves and better my craft and perfecting those moves I have.”
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