Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Vincent Taylor will miss the 2022 season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, coach Arthur Smith said Tuesday.

Taylor’s injury occurred during practice Monday.

The Falcons signed Taylor, 28, to a one-year, $1.19 million ($275,000 guaranteed) free-agent deal in April.

Heading into his sixth NFL season, Taylor was expected to be a significant part of the defensive line, working with Grady Jarrett, Marlon Davidson, Ta’Quon Graham and Anthony Rush as major contributors.

This is the second significant injury for Taylor over the past two seasons. He hurt his ankle in the 2021 season opener while playing for the Houston Texans and missed the remainder of the season.

Before going to the Texans, Taylor played for the Cleveland Browns (2020), Buffalo Bills (2019) and Miami Dolphins (2017-18), where he was a sixth-round draft pick in 2017 out of Oklahoma State.

In 40 NFL games (two starts), Taylor has 65 tackles and two sacks.

–Field Level Media