BOCA RATON, Fla. – Falcons coach Dan Quinn had an injury update on returner/receiver Devin Hester at the NFL meetings.
He has been monitoring the recovery from foot surgery with great interest.
“He had the surgery,” Quinn told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after his media session at the league meetings. “He’s rehabbing down in Orlando. … We check in just to make sure that the rehab is going good.”
Quinn knows that one of the game’s great returners can recovery, the Falcons will have a special weapon to combat the new touchback rule that provides for the ball to come out to the 25-yard line.
If Hester, 33, recovers, the Falcons’ strategy to combat the new rule will be heavily impacted.
Hester, who spent part of last season on the team’s short-term injured reserve, played in only five games and averaged 26.1 yards on nine kickoff returns.
In 2014, Hester’s 62-yard punt return against Tampa Bay was his 20th career return touchdown, which broke a record held by former Falcons returner Deion Sanders.
If Hester can make it back, Quinn may be inclined to give him the green light no matter how deep the kickoff.
“There are special players like Dev and other returners around the league, they’ll still get green-lighted,” Quinn said. “Here’s a guy who is on the club for this unique reason.”
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