Atlanta Falcons starting safety Erik Harris needs surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and will miss the rest of the season, NFL Network reported Monday.
He left Sunday’s 29-21 road win against the Carolina Panthers early in the first quarter. He walked off the field with a trainer and then headed to the locker room after a visit to the medical tent.
Harris, 31, finishes his first season with the Falcons with 64 tackles, eight passes defensed and half a sack in 12 starts.
He has 254 tackles and five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, in 77 career games (42 starts) with the New Orleans Saints (2016), Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2017-20) and Falcons.
Jaylinn Hawkins, a fourth-round pick in 2020, is a likely candidate to replace Harris when Atlanta (6-7) visits the San Francisco 49ers (7-6) on Sunday.