Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has confirmed that starting right tackle Kaleb McGary is expected to be sidelined for an extended period due to a left leg injury. The announcement came after the team’s final preseason game in Dallas.
“The thing I will say to you now is that he will miss significant time,” Morris said following Friday night’s game. “Looks like it will be IR, whatever the case may be, we will have to see there, but he will miss significant time for us.”
According to rules introduced last year, NFL teams can place two players on injured reserve with a designation to return during roster cuts, and these players do not count against the initial 53-man roster.
McGary sustained his injury during Wednesday’s practice and was carted off the field. A team spokesperson indicated that McGary would undergo an MRI. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday that McGary would “miss time” because of the injury, though no exact timeline was provided.
The Falcons’ situation at offensive tackle became more complicated when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that backup tackle Storm Norton had ankle surgery earlier in the week and is expected to be out for six-to-eight weeks.
In response to these injuries, Elijah Wilkinson took over right tackle reps in practice after McGary was injured but did not play in Friday’s preseason game. Rookie Jack Nelson played at left tackle, while Brandon Parker filled in at right tackle.
“Elijah has played a lot of football in the National Football League,” Morris said about Wilkinson’s absence from Friday’s game. “He’s played a lot for us. He’s been here with us throughout the course of the last year, throughout the course of this year, and we are fired up to get those guys out there and watch those guys play and compete to see who’s going to be able to go out there vs. Tampa.”
