Falcons: Erik Harris out for season, who will replace his snaps?

The Falcons received somber news on Monday as they’ll be without a key contributor in their secondary going forward. NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed safety Erik Harris is out for the season with a torn pec.

Source: #Falcons S Erik Harris is out for the season with a torn pec. He’s headed for surgery, with the starter ending his 2021 with 64 tackles and 8 passes defended.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 13, 2021

The veteran Harris left Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers early in the game and was quickly listed as questionable after walking off the field under his own power but was later ruled out of the game. Harris hadn’t been incredibly effective in this defense, but he was reliable, and Dean Pees trusted him.

Harris posted 64 tackles and eight passes defended through 12 games, making him the team’s third-leading tackler. For such an inexpensive option, I think Harris performed respectively. The timing couldn’t be worse for the Falcons, who will travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in what could be a do-or-die situation for Atlanta — win and playoff chances rise exponentially; lose and chances become virtually impossible. 

This is the second season-ending injury the Falcons have dealt with on the backend. Earlier in the season, Isaiah Oliver went down with a knee injury. A combination of Richie Grant and Jalyinn Hawkins will replace Harris’ snaps, but the loss of a valuable leader and communicator can’t be understated. Against a physical team like the 49ers, the Falcons will dearly miss Harris’ physical style of play.