Falcons Players Admit Brent Grimes' Injury Difficult To Take

Atlanta players are disappointed after it was confirmed that Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

In an interview with Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com, safety Thomas DeCoud told Adams that it will be tough not having Grimes out on the field this year,

"It’s hard. He’s one of my closest friends on the team. We spend a lot of time together. It’s just one of those things where I have to fight through it, as well. I’m missing one of my closest guys back there, so I’ve got to stay focused and make sure I keep myself in the game."

Chris Owens knows that the team has to move on and replace Grimes' productivity as much as possible, as he and Dominique Franks compete for the now open nickel position,

"You’ve got to approach it with a little bit of excitement. It’s a Monday night game, so you’ve got to be excited about that. I’m excited about the opportunity, and it’s all about being focused and we’ve got a great challenge with Peyton (Manning) ahead of us, so it’s gonna be a good one."

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta. For more in-depth coverage, check out Falcons blog The Falcoholic. And for more news, notes and analysis from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Falcons Brent Grimes Out For Season, Fans: Don't Hit That Panic Button Just Yet

Brent Grimes Injury: Mike Smith Comments On Injury

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith announced Monday that cornerback Brent Grimes will be placed on the injured reserve list, ending his season after just one game.

Per Jay Adams, Smith indicated that Asante Samuel will take over Grimes' starting spot on the left side, and also noted that the team will reconfigure its nickel package as a result of the injury.

"Brent's made a number of plays. Since he's been here, he's been a cornerstone at the corner position, both left and right," Smith said. "It's the next-man-up mentality, and that's how you have to approach it. We've got a number of guys that have play time on our roster right now, and it's something we'll, as a coaching staff, put together what we feel like is the best plan in terms of how we'll configure our nickel package."

Samuel's acquisition over the offseason just became that much more important. We'll see in the coming days what the Falcons do with their nickel package.

For the latest on all things Falcons, check out the Falcoholic.

Brent Grimes Injury: 'Timing Couldn't Be Worse' For Falcons' Cornerback

The gamble NFL players take when accepting a franchise tag is the risk of season-ending injury damaging their value on the open market when they reach that point.

Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes is proof of that, as he will miss the 2012 season with an Achilles injury. Grimes was given the Falcons' franchise tag this offseason, which will pay him $10.28 million this season.

Pro Football Talk wrote Monday the "The timing couldn't be worse for Grimes." There isn't a good time for an Achilles tendon injury, but specifically, the major issue is the fact he does not have a long-term deal in place.

He'll get his $10.28 million under the franchise tag, but his stock as a free agent -- assuming Atlanta doesn't give him the franchise tag in 2013 -- could potentially drop quite a bit.

His recovery will be the ultimate determining factor. However, Grimes doesn't have to look far to see his successful rehabilitation could still result in a long-term deal. Steelers offensive linemen Willie Colon ruptured his Achilles tendon in spring practice in 2010, but recovered, and eventually signed a five-year contract in 2011. Colon had a bit more time to recover, though.

Grimes is one of the better defensive backs in the league, and now, it's a question of how quickly he can return to 100 percent.

Brent Grimes Injury: Falcons Face Major Secondary Issues

Alex Welch of The Falcoholic sees the season-ending achilles injury to cornerback Brent Grimes as a big damper Atlanta Falcons victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and puts more pressure on the defense.

The Falcons started off with a big win over the Chiefs, but this puts a damper on the revelry afterwards. We'll await the rest of the story from Atlanta, but for now we know a huge piece on defense will be missing going forward.

Right now, Welch speculates that cornerback Asante Samuel will replace Grimes. Fellow defensive backs Dominique Franks and Christopher Owens will battle for the remaining nickel back position.

The Falcons next play against quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on ESPN's Monday Night Football on Sept. 17.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta. For more in-depth coverage, check out Falcons blog The Falcoholic. And for more news, notes and analysis from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Brent Grimes Injury: Falcons DB To Miss Rest Of Season With Achilles Injury

The Atlanta Falcons suffered a huge blow on Sunday when cornerback Brent Grimes suffered an Achilles injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Grimes was tagged as a the team's franchise player during the offseason and reluctantly signed the tender after the two sides couldn't come to an agreement on a long term contract.

The injury will force the Falcons to go with Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson likely as the team's starting corners. Atlanta acquired Samuel from the Eagles during the offseason but it was Grimes who was the team's starting left corner.

Up next for the Falcons is a Monday night matchup against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the team's home opener.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta. For more in-depth coverage, check outFalcons blog The Falcoholic. And for more news, notes and analysis from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Brent Grimes Injury: Falcons Cornerback Left Sunday's Game With Calf Injury

Brent Grimes was hurt in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game.