After coming only one game shy of reaching the Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons headed into the NFL off-season with a lot of questions surrounding the future of the franchise. One of the first major changes that was made to get the off-season underway in Atlanta was the team releasing running back Michael Turner due to a failed physical according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as of March 2:
Falcons running back Michael Turner was officially released because of a failed physical, which was listed in the league transactions on Friday.
Turner aggravated an ankle injury in the NFC championship game. He limped off the field in the third quarter and did not return. The team did not announce any additional information about the injury or if he required offseason surgery.
Although Turner's release was considered a foregone conclusion, the Falcons parting ways with the veteran running back due to a failed physical was surprising. Turner's ankle injury against the San Francisco 49ers appears to be severe enough to force the team to part ways.
With Turner now out of the picture in Atlanta, the Falcons are rumored to be pursuing running back Steven Jackson as their top target in free agency. Jackson recently let it be known that he intends to void the final year of his deal with the St. Louis Rams to test the free agent market and potentially sign with a legitimate Super Bowl title contender.
Along with Turner, Atlanta also released defensive end John Abraham and defensive back Dunta Robinson in an effort to clear cap space heading into free agency.
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