Vic Beasley has been playing through a torn labrum

First round rookie Vic Beasley may still be short of his preseason sack prediction, but he has been playing through a torn labrum through his entire first season. Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution has the quote from Beasley, who left the Jacksonville game early.

"I’ve played with a torn labrum the whole season," Beasley said. "It was just one of those moments. I’ve played well with it throughout the season and I played with it in college."

A preseason scan showed a bothersome shoulder was actually a torn labrum. Players typically play through the torn cartilage, and opt for offseason surgery to repair the damage. Whether or not if Beasley needs surgery was not mentioned, and it is not clear if the Falcons will consider shutting Beasley down if they are officially out of the playoff race.

The injury may explain why Beasley has had a slow rookie season, but there is not typically long-term concerns with this sort of injury.