The Falcoholic
We’ve been awaiting news on Atlanta Falcons starting right tackle Kaleb McGary’s apparent left leg injury for a few days now. The lack of reports was ominous, to say the least. There was hope that we might get an update from head coach Raheem Morris following Atlanta’s third and final preseason game against the Cowboys on Friday night. That’s exactly what happened, and unfortunately, the update is a negative one.
Kaleb McGary is set to miss “significant time”, per AtlantaFalcons.com’s Will McFadden. An injured reserve (IR) designation is almost assuredly coming for Atlanta’s longtime starting tackle.
There’s no way to sugarcoat McGary’s loss, and pairing it with the loss of Storm Norton for 6-8 weeks is a double dose of bad luck for the Falcons heading into the start of the 2025 NFL season. Atlanta will have to find an answer at right tackle for at least the first month of the season, and possibly a whole lot longer. It appears veteran Elijah Wilkinson—who primarily worked at guard during training camp up until last week’s preseason game—is first in line to take over right tackle. Given what we saw from both veteran Brandon Parker and rookie Jack Nelson during Friday’s game against the Cowboys, we’d better hope Wilkinson is up to the task.
Regardless, I’d expect to see the Falcons look long and hard at the waiver wire following final cuts on Tuesday. There’s also the possibility that the team could enter the trade market if McGary’s injury threatens his season. We’ll keep you posted on McGary’s status and any roster moves as we get closer to Atlanta’s Week 1 tilt with the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
