What was already a bad night for Atlanta Falcons starting left tackle Sam Baker ended abruptly when he was carted off the field in the second quarter Saturday evening against the Houston Texans.
Reports now indicate that Baker may in fact be lost for the entire 2014 regular season with a torn patella tendon.
The early diagnosis for #Falcons LT Sam Baker is a torn patella tendon, per source. If tests confirm, would almost certainly end his season
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2014
This could be a huge blow to a Falcons team that suffered through an injury-ravaged 2013 campaign. If Baker is lost for the season, it means that rookie first-round pick Jake Matthews will take over as the starting left tackle. That’s not necessarily an ideal situation for quarterback Matt Ryan.
While Matthews is projected as a long-term replacement as Ryan’s blind-side protector, it’s too much to expect him to be a top-tier player at that position as a rookie. As it relates to Baker, this latest setback comes on the heels of him missing all but 12 games due to a knee injury last season.
Photo: CBS Sports