Falcons running back Tevin Coleman may not be able to play vs Broncos

With a road trip to take on the Denver Broncos coming in Week 5, Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman’s status is up in the air.

The Atlanta Falcons are riding high after beating the Carolina Panthers on Sunday for their third straight win. A trip to take on the other Super Bowl 50 participant is coming for Week 5, and that may create health complications for one of Atlanta’s important offensive players.

Running back Tevin Coleman has sickle cell trait, which is a genetic abnormality that can affect red blood cells and cause issues in places with high altitudes or low oxygen levels. Denver, as the “Mile High City”, clearly fits those labels.

Coleman told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure about his uncertain availability for next Sunday’s game.

“With my sickle cell, I have no idea if I’ll play there,” Coleman told Vaughn McClure of ESPN. “I really don’t know how I’ll feel or how it will be like. I’ve never been to Denver.”

“It does make me scared a little bit, a little nervous, because I’m risking my life,” Coleman said, referring to Clark’s experience. “We’ll have to see. I’ll have to talk to coach (Dan Quinn). I guess coach we’ll see how I feel when we get there. And I just have to communicate with him, if I am out there (playing), if I’m dead (tired) or can’t breathe. We just have to play it smart.”

A notable case of sickle cell trait with an NFL player is former Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety Ryan Clark. After playing in Denver in 2007, Clark became gravely ill while eventually losing his spleen and gall bladder. He missed two subsequent games in Denver after that, including a playoff game.

For what it’s worth, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn has already said he expects Coleman to play against the Broncos on Sunday. But a scaled back workload is a virtual certainty, and there’s still a very good chance Coleman does not play.

Coleman has 40 carries for 129 yards and 13 catches for 181 yards so far this season, highlighted by a three-touchdown game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. But Devonta Freeman is running as well as any back in the league right now, averaging 5.9 yards per carry through four games, so Atlanta’s running game would be in good hands if Coleman can’t go against Denver.

Coleman’s health is obviously more important than one game, and he seems to have that in perspective. Hopefully Quinn gets on board with the idea Coleman should not play in Denver, with Clark’s near-death experience nine years ago as the clear reference point.