DeMarcco Hellams leaves Falcons' preseason game vs. Dolphins with air cast on leg after injury

Just a couple plays in to Friday’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams left the game on a cart. The trainers also placed an air cast on his left leg before he headed to the locker room.

Hellams got hurt on the second play from scrimmage Friday night. His injury is the second significant one for the Falcons after Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice this week.

Hellams is gearing up for his second season in Atlanta after the Falcons selected him in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He’s coming off a strong rookie season, appearing in 15 of 17 games and totaling 40 tackles. He’s competing for a starting role this year under new head coach Raheem Morris.

The thinking was Hellams would take a leap forward under the new staff, and his rookie season certainly set the table for more success in the NFL. However, he didn’t want to get into the expectations game and, instead, focus on honing his craft.

“I was grateful for how my rookie year went out,” Hellams said, via AtlantaFalcons.com’s Terrin Waack. “I wouldn’t say I was happy because it didn’t end how I thought it would as a player or as a team. I never want to get caught up on being an individual.

“But I definitely think from what people may have expected from me as a rookie, I may have passed those. But for the expectations that I set for myself, I’m not going to lie, there’s a lot of things that I can get better at.”

In 54 career games played for Alabama, Hellams recorded 261 tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss. He also totaled four interceptions throughout his career and also played a role in 17 passes defended as he served as the Crimson Tide’s starting safety under Nick Saban.

DeMarcco Hellams’ injury comes just days after Rondale Moore left Thursday’s practice with a scary knee injury. The Falcons later placed the former Purdue star on injured reserve and announced he’d be out for the year. Atlanta listed him as a backup receiver on the initial depth chart, but he was getting work with the starters ahead of the preseason opener against Miami.

Moore came over to the Falcons in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. That deal also involved Desmond Ridder, who started at quarterback last season under Arthur Smith and will now back up Kyler Murray.