Atlanta Falcons injury updates: Julio Jones won't play Thursday, Keanu Neal undergoes successful knee surgery

The Atlanta Falcons' post-practice presser yesterday shed some light on the status of some of their star players. Quinn specifically touched on the status of wide receiver Julio Jones and rookie strong safety Keanu Neal. The bad news is that neither man will see the practice field in the immediate future. The good news is that both are on track in their respective recoveries.

Per Quinn, Jones won't be playing in the Falcons' preseason finale. He will instead sit, rest his injured ankle, and get ready for week 1 of the regular season. At the earliest, Jones will hit the practice field again during their walkthrough on Wednesday. At the latest, he will be back by Monday. Given that Jones probably wouldn't have played much anyway, it's probably safe not to read into his absence. He's missed two consecutive practices but the team is just being extra cautious.

As for Neal, Quinn basically said that the knee surgery went as planned. Keep in mind that this was considered a minor procedure and if all goes according to play, Neal will be back as soon as week 3. It could theoretically take a little longer but in the meantime, Dashon Goldson and Kemal Ishmael can fill in capably.

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