Kendal Daniels injury update: What happened to the Falcons rookie after a brutal helmet hit against the Bears

The footage covering Kendal Daniels’ injury is absolutely unclear. One cannot determine what exactly happened to the Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker. The injury happened in a split second.The next moment, he was carted off on a stretcher in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.What happened to Kendal Daniels?Kendal Daniels was stumbling, and his head was down. He lost his balance or dove forward awkwardly as he went too low to wrap his arms around Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland. His low-lying tackle attempt landed his head on Loveland’s knee.The front grill of his helmet slammed directly into Loveland’s hard, moving knee. The impact was so powerful that the force of the helmet-to-knee hit severely jolted Daniels’ neck. He fell to the ground. He then immediately rolled onto his stomach, face down on the turf. He was in intense pain and unable to move safely.The distressing scene prompted emotional responses from players on both the teams - Atlanta Falcons and the Chicago Bears. Everyone gathered on the gridiron to show support for him.Kevin Stefanski complimented the medical staffMedical personnel arrived at the location where Kendal Daniels was down with pain. He remained motionless for several minutes as medical personnel attended to him.They stabilized his neck and body before loading him into a gurney. They carted him off on a stretcher in the third quarter of the Bears vs. Falcons game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.On the way off the field, he made a fist with his hand. “He said, ‘Y’all go finish this off.’ He was in good spirits,” Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. said.Kendal Daniels was alert and conscious, with movement in his extremities. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for further evaluation. He was seen walking in his own power in the locker room after the game.Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Daniels’ reports were good. He had movement in his extremities on the field. The coach complimented the medical staff for doing an outstanding job of getting him safely off the gridiron.“Those are no fun for anybody, players, coaches. You don’t want to see anyone down like that. Kendal is a kid we all love; we all respect,” the coach added.Kendal Daniels college football statsKendal Daniels wore the green dot as the defensive playcaller at the time of the injury because Divine Deablo was out with an arm injury. With Daniels out, linebacker Josh Woods took over the green dot. Daniels is a 4th-round draft pick out of Oklahoma.The Falcons drafted him in the 2026 NFL Draft as their 134th overall pick. He was named their starter since Week 1 of the 2026 season. He recorded 23 combined tackles [22 solo, 7 assists] and 1.0 sacks in 6 games.The 6–foot-5, 242-pounder played college football for Oklahoma State from 2021 to 2024 [2021 was his redshirt year] and Oklahoma in 2025. He recorded 293 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 16 pass defenses, and 5 interceptions across his five-year college career.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.