The Atlanta Falcons went into this process vowing to be "safe'' with the condition of Matt Hennessy ... and now they have done so, a leg injury that has kept the fourth-year offensive lineman out all week now causing the team to move him to IR on Wednesday.
The former third-round pick out of Temple had been involved in an open competition for a top job at training camp.
Said coach Arthur Smith about the process: "A lot of times, guys get other opinions, but we’re just going to be safe with it and see where it goes ... Matt’s trying to win a job. But we got to be smart, he’s got to make the best decision and we have to do what’s right for the team.”
Hennessy appeared in 11 games for the Falcons in 2022, three of which he started. But with Hennessy now out for a time? A window opens up for promising rookie offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron to get more reps. The Syracuse product was taken in the second round by Atlanta in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"We give every guy on this roster a chance to go earn a job and if a guy who was a college free agent is the best player, he should start," Smith said. "You obviously invest in guys early because there’s an expectation, but that’s not fair to the team (to automatically give them jobs).''
Bergeron might get better quickly because of the fact he get work against Falcons' best defensive linemen, Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata. Smith said "that, hopefully, accelerates his growth."
Want even more Atlanta Falcons news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
More must-reads: