Falcons agree to deal with veteran DT Da’Shawn Hand: Source

Veteran defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, a league source confirmed Friday.

Hand was the No. 64 player in The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents and checked in as the third-best interior defensive lineman available.

Hand is coming off a season with the Los Angeles Chargers in which he started a career-high 13 games and was a strong force in the middle of the defense. In addition to games started, Hand set career-highs in quarterback hits, tackles for loss and notched his first career interception.

Hand signed a one-year prove-it deal in Los Angeles last offseason after bouncing around the league for a few years. Injuries have been a significant part of the story for Hand since he entered the NFL in 2018 as a fourth-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions. His rookie season ended on injured reserve with a knee injury, his sophomore season was limited to three games due to elbow and ankle injuries, and he missed seven games with ankle and groin injuries in his third season.

Hand was released by the Lions in his fourth season with an injury settlement in 2021. He joined the Tennessee Titans for the 2022 season but only played in one game before his season ended on injured reserve again. Hand finally turned the corner in 2023 with the Miami Dolphins, playing in 16 games that season before playing in all 17 games in 2024.

That led to Hand’s one-year deal with the Chargers last season, which included a trip to injured reserve in the middle of the season with a groin injury, but still resulted in 13 starts and showing off his potential to anchor the middle of a defensive line, particularly against the run.