Atlanta Falcons running back Caleb Huntley suffered a torn Achilles that will require surgery, ending his 2022 season, Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Monday. Huntley was injured on the first drive of Atlanta’s 21-18 loss to New Orleans on Sunday, where he had one carry for two yards.
The 24-year-old had become a strong part of the Falcons’ run game, ranked third in the NFL.
He had 76 carries for 366 yards and one touchdown this season, often spelling Cordarrelle Patterson or Tyler Allgeier.
On Monday, Huntley said in a tweet that he’s in good spirits and vowed to come back.
Please do not feel bad for me I’m in a good state of mind I’m locked in I been down before but never out come back will be something to write about remember the tweet #dukeslatt 💪🏾💪🏾 https://t.co/sYVNoUYEA6
— 🚂 Huntley for 6️⃣ (@1DukeHuntley) December 19, 2022
Huntley, who played college ball at Ball State, began the season on Atlanta’s practice squad and was elevated the active roster multiple times before signing a two-year deal with Atlanta on Oct. 3, after the team placed Patterson on injured reserve.
Huntley had acted as part of a one-two running back element with Allgeier while Patterson was gone, including rushing for a career-high 91 yards against Carolina on Oct. 30.
With Huntley out for the season, the Falcons will have Patterson, Allgeier and Avery Williams as running backs on the active roster.