The Falcons offensive line has served as arguably the most consistent unit on the team over the past few years. Heading into this season, PFF ranked Atlanta as the No. 8 unit in the league, highlighting their excellent run blocking grade. But, the Falcons have received troubling updates on two linemen this week, including one they extended just two and a half weeks ago.
Falcons Lose Starting RT Kaleb McGary to ‘Apparent Lower Leg Injury’
At the beginning of this month, the Falcons announced that they extended RT Kaleb McGary through the 2027 season. As Michael Penix Jr.‘s blindside protector, the Falcons sent a strong message by locking up McGary for years to come.
Despite some initial struggles, McGary has played in 93 out of 100 possible games during his career. He’s developed into one of the most consistent run-blocking tackles in the league and earned the respect of his teammates, especially 11-year pro Jake Matthews.
“I think he’s a special player,” Matthews said of McGary after he signed his extension this month. “[I] just respect him. Going into seven years with him, I really think he’s really improved a lot, and I’m expecting him to be solid and one of the staple guys on this offensive line.”
Unfortunately, this morning, Falcons reporters Tori McElhaney and Terrin Waack shared that the training staff carted McGary off the field after an apparent lower leg injury. We will have to wait for more information, but it’s never a good sign when a player is carted off the field.
A Falcons spokesperson didn’t have many details to share with McElhaney and Waack. After practice, the spokesperson provided the following statement regarding McGary’s status:
“Kaleb McGary was carted off, is receiving an MRI and we’ll have an update at the appropriate time.”
According to McElhaney and Waack, veteran offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson stepped in for McGary at right tackle for the rest of practice. The nine-year veteran has moved around on the left side of the line this preseason, playing left guard in Week 1 and left tackle in Week 2.
He projected as a backup behind Matthew Bergeron at left guard, according to the Falcons depth chart. But, another injury may force Atlanta to re-evaluate their backups across the offensive line.
Atlanta Lost Valuable Depth at OT on Tuesday
GettyBefore Kaleb McGary’s injury, the Falcons received news on Tuesday that OT Storm Norton will miss six to eight weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.
Yesterday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news of backup OT Storm Norton undergoing ankle surgery that may cost him six to eight weeks. He then updated his announcement with the news of McGary’s injury.
As McElhaney and Waack noted, their depth at tackle is something to monitor. McElhaney wrote about the offensive tackles needing a shake-up following their loss to the Tennessee Titans on Friday. So, they are in no position to lose both a veteran starter in Kaleb McGary and a serviceable backup like Storm Norton.
As for Norton, the surgery announcement isn’t a huge surprise, considering he hadn’t practiced with the team throughout the majority of training camp. Last week, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris noted that he didn’t have a definitive timeline for Norton’s return.
His most recent update was even less conclusive, as according to McElhaney, he told reporters the following:
“He is still dealing with it. We will see where that goes to see what will happen with Storm.”
I will keep an eye out for any updates on McGary’s condition, but it’s clear that the Falcons offensive line has taken at least one major hit with Storm Norton’s injury.
Maybe the only piece of fortunate news is that if Norton were to return after six weeks, that would be during the Falcons bye week. So, he could have an extra week to get back to game-ready before their showdown with the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
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