Falcons CB Casey Hayward placed on IR with shoulder injury

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have placed cornerback Casey Hayward on injured reserve. Hayward hurt his shoulder attempting to tackle San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 28-14 victory over the 49ers. Hayward joined Atlanta as a free agent during the last offseason, giving the team another outside cornerback to team with A.J. Terrell. The duo has been highly effective, helping the Falcons get off to a 3-3 start in what was expected to be a rebuilding year. Second-year player Darren Hall will likely take Hayward’s spot in the secondary.