A week ago, it looked like Kendal Daniels might be out for a long time.
Somehow, though, the Atlanta Falcons‘ linebacker is already back on the field in Week 7, not missing a full game despite his injury in Week 6.
Daniels was already making an early play for Atlanta against the San Francisco 49ers, too.
That’s the first huge play from Kendal Daniels! Before the Falcons let up a huge gain.
Atlanta is struggling in tackle angles and gap coverage early on. With short option routes from McCaffrey killing them. https://t.co/ts9BxZY2lt
— Ronin Maguigan (@RoninMaguigan) October 25, 2026
Daniels has gotten more time in recent weeks due to other injuries, including to Divine Deablo, the inside linebacker who is out on Sunday due to an arm problem. And he apparently wasn’t going to let his own injury keep him from playing.
What Happened to Kendal Daniels?
Chicago Bears v Atlanta Falcons
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 18: Kendal Daniels #53 of the Atlanta Falcons is carted off the field after a play against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter of the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 18, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Daniels was hurt in Week 6 when he got involved in a nasty collision that left him down on the field. He had to be carted off on a back board.
The rookie linebacker had been trying to tackle Colston Loveland, the tight end of the Chicago Bears. Daniels’ facemask collided with Loveland’s knee, resulting in Daniels’ neck snapping backward.
He couldn’t get up and had to be driven off.
It was a scary scene that visually impacted the Falcons, and it was one of the kind that seems to result in a long absence for the injured player.
Daniels, though, came right back the next week.
How Kendal Daniels Returned So Fast
The reality is that Daniels didn’t have any serious injury despite what looked quite dire.
It seemed like there’d be something harmful that happened on that play a week ago, but Daniels quickly was shown to be better than expected.
He was back in the locker room after Sunday’s game, then back in the team building on Monday.
Daniels was back in practice, wearing a Guardian Cap just for practice, and he built up during the week. Evidently, Daniels showed that he is just fine to get back in game action.
Falcons fans will be hoping he stays healthy going forward, but it’s amazing that he’s already back.
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Billy Heyen Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor with focus on the NFL and MLB. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive work for The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register and Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. More about Billy Heyen