Falcons RB Devonta Freeman Played Through MCL & PCL Sprains, Not Sure He’ll Need Surgery

Falcons RB Devonta Freeman told reporters after Sunday’s loss to the Eagles that he played through MCL and PCL sprains in his right knee towards the end of the season, per Vaughn McClure.

“It was tough, but the game was on the line,” Freeman said. “It was really more like a PCL, and I really started feeling stuff on my PCL. But that’s no excuse. You know what I mean? You just have to play.’‘

Freeman said he isn’t sure if he’ll need to undergo offseason surgery, but he also didn’t use it as an excuse of his play.

“I’m not sure yet,” Freeman said. “But I’m not using that as an excuse. At all.”

Freeman was largely ineffective against the Eagles, rushing for just 7 yards on 10 carries. He did, however, catch a six-yard touchdown pass.

Freeman, 25, is a former fourth-round pick of the Falcons back in 2014. He was in the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million contract and set to make a base salary of $1.838 million for the 2017 season when he and the Falcons agreed to a five-year, $41.25 million extension that included $22 million guaranteed this past August.

In 2017, Freeman appeared in 14 games and rushed for 865 yards on 196 carries (4.4 YPC) to go along with 36 receptions for 317 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 20 running back out of 61 qualifying players.