A plea of self-defense against a Yorkshire terrier might be enough to get Prince Shembo back in the NFL.

The Falcons cut the linebacker in May after he was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges for allegedly kicking and killing his ex-girlfriend's dog, Dior. But Shembo's agent told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week that the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor because the dog bit the player first.

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That has the Falcons reconsidering their move to cut ties with the 23-year-old, who played in all 16 games as a rookie last season. Coach Dan Quinn acknowledged Thursday that the team likely will at least discuss bringing Shembo back.

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“I’m sure that we will, but (general manager) Thomas (Dimitroff) and I have not gotten together on that, at this point,” Quinn said, via the AJC. “But I don’t have a comment one way or another on that.”

Shembo could still face NFL discipline if he signs with the Falcons or another team after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor. Though the player's attorney said at the time of his arrest that Shembo didn't mean to kill the dog, Dior's injuries were extensive.

A post-mortem examination showed the dog had a fractured rib and liver, abdominal and thoracic hemorrhages, extensive bruising and hemorrhage in the muscles in her front leg and shoulders, head trauma, hemorrhage and edema in lungs, hemorrhage in the throat and hemorrhage in the left eye.