ClutchPoints
The Atlanta Falcons are in an awkward position as a franchise. Atlanta finished the 2024 regular season 8-9 and missed the playoffs despite being in a weak NFC South division. The Falcons have a number of talented players on both sides of the ball, but they have not been able to consistently turn those into wins.
Atlanta made some big swings during last year’s offseason. The Falcons signed QB Kirk Cousins to a huge four-year, $180 million contract during free agency. Unfortunately, the two sides are already on the outs and Cousins could even be cut during this offseason.
The Falcons also spent the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on QB Michael Penix Jr. from Washington. The pick shocked many Falcons fans, and NFL fans in general, after Atlanta invested big money in Cousins. Now it is looking like a smart move because it gives Atlanta a long-term option at the position.
Now the Falcons must transition into offseason mode and attempt to fix what went wrong in 2024. Sadly, that is much easier said than done.
The Falcons enter the offseason roughly $11 million over the 2025 salary cap. As a result, Atlanta has some work to do just to become cap compliant. They’ll need to clear even more cap space if they actually want to sign their draft picks and add free agents to the roster.
Atlanta can accomplish this in several different ways. They could restructure contracts to push money into future seasons. The Falcons could also trade players with bloated salaries to another team for some cap relief.
The most likely outcome will be a handful of players being cut to create more cap space for others. But who could it be?
Below we will explain why one Falcons player could become a surprise roster cut during the 2025 NFL offseason.
It may be sad for Falcons fans to imagine a future without right tackle Kaleb McGary. Unfortunately, he makes an easy target as a cap casualty.
McGary started his NFL career in Atlanta after being drafted with the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has played for the Falcons ever since and is currently their starting right tackle.
The easiest argument to make for cutting McGary revolves around his contract. Atlanta could save $14.5 million in cap space in 2025 if they cut McGary. He is in the final year of his contract and should not leave any dead money on the books in future years if released.
All of that information is important for two reasons.
First, cutting McGary instantly puts the Falcons in the black from a financial perspective. There are few players on Atlanta’s roster who can create as much cap space when cut without any serious repercussions. That alone makes McGary a tempting target.
Second, McGary will be 30 years old during the 2025 NFL season. This, combined with his expiring...
