A first-round draft pick in 1998, linebacker Keith Brooking has enjoyed a tremendous career with the Atlanta Falcons. But if it’s over, it didn’t end the way he wanted.

Brooking was beat by Cardinals tight end Stephen Spach on a key play late in the game during Arizona’a wild-card win over Atlanta on Saturday.

The next play that Brooking makes likely won’t come for the Falcons. Brooking is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and it’s questionable whether Atlanta will re-sign him. At 33, Brooking isn’t as fast as he once was, and he sometimes can be a matchup liability when asked to cover a running back.

Brooking has become a fixture in Atlanta, but the question now is whether he will get to finish his career there.

Posted in: Adam Schefter  | comments  |