The Atlanta Falcons talked up the return of Sean Weatherspoon this offseason. However, it appears those words were all for naught.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the linebacker will hit the open market and is unlikely to be back in Atlanta, per a source involved in the situation.
Weatherspoon, who missed all of last season with a torn Achilles, had been a priority for the Falcons to bring back.
"Sean Weatherspoon is going to be an important part of building this defense and building this team," general manager Thomas Dimitroff said last month. "He has that side of him and that leadership that we need across the board."
But things change quickly in the NFL. It's unclear which side pulled back to allow the 27-year-old to hit the market.
In desperate need of boosting their pass rush, the Falcons will have to look outside their building once free agency opens on Tuesday.
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