MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On the second play from scrimmage for the Atlanta Falcons’ defense in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins inside Hard Rock Stadium, disaster struck.

Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams, running to his right in pursuit of a quick screen pass to Dolphins receiver River Cracraft, went down on the play and was writhing in pain before trainers came to his side. He stayed down for several minutes.

Hellams was eventually helped to his feet with his arms wrapped around a pair of trainers. He was helped to the back of the cart and taken off the field with his lower left leg in air cast. Teammates came over and embraced him before he was driven to the locker room.

Hellams, a seventh-round pick out of Alabama in 2023, had 40 tackles and one tackle for loss across 15 games with one start as a rookie. He has impressed the Falcons’ new defensive staff this summer with his work ethic and mental growth, and served largely as the team’s No. 3 safety in camp, taking a handful of first-team snaps next to Jessie Bates III.

Atlanta’s starting safeties in camp have been Bates and Richie Grant, who was on the field with Hellams when the injury occurred. Once Hellams departed, Atlanta replaced him with Lukas Denis, who spent last year on the Falcons’ practice squad.

The injury to Hellams is the second time in the last three days the Falcons have used the cart and lost a player due to a lower-body injury. Receiver Rondale Moore was carted off the field in Wednesday’s joint practice and will miss the remainder of the season.

The Falcons have not yet announced an update on the status of Hellams.