Atlanta Falcons Searching for Answers at Right Tackle Entering 2025 Season

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons were dealt a terrible blow last week with the pair of injuries to right tackle Kaleb McGary and the subsequent ankle surgery for swing tackle Storm Norton. McGary will miss the season, while Norton could return by the Falcons' Week 5 bye week. The coinciding announcements left the right side of the offensive line in brutal condition ahead of Tuesday’s cut-down day, and the team was aggressive as a result. 

Through Wednesday’s practice squad announcements, the Falcons now have upwards of six different options for their starter, but no clear solution, come Week 1 when Tampa Bay makes the trip to Atlanta. 

Elijah Wilkinson is currently slated to be the starting right tackle. The ninth-year pro was the first man up last Wednesday when McGary initially went down with the lower leg injury, and was again seen taking reps with the first-team on Thursday. He has 77 games (45 starts) of experience at both guard and tackle, spanning four franchises. 

Behind him on the active roster are a rookie seventh-rounder in Jack Nelson (who was notably not present during the media viewing period) and a newly acquired Michael Jerrell, who was picked up from Seattle for a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick on Tuesday. 

On the practice squad, the Falcons retained Brandon Parker, who was with the team during training camp, and also signed Ryan Hayes and Carter Warren after they cleared waivers. 

Warren, a former 2023 fourth-round pick from the New York Jets, and Hayes, a former 2023 seventh-round pick from the Miami Dolphins, will help provide immediate depth and competition at the tackle position with Jerrell, Wilkinson, and the rookie Nelson.

By all appearances, the Falcons are just attempting to throw bodies at their problem. 

In addition to these five, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris did not rule out the possibility of moving left guard Matthew Bergeron out to the right tackle position.

“Bergeron is definitely one of those options,” Morris said. “He's certainly one of the guys that can do anything for us.” 

The former second-round pick played 46 games (39 starts) at tackle during his time at Syracuse, where he earned All-ACC honors. Since joining the Falcons in 2023, Bergeron has started all 34 games at left guard, but could be called upon to move outside again. 

Morris cited Bergeron’s “unique” ability to play both positions, but the potential move would also create a second potential void in what had been one of the steady position groups for the Falcons. 

“That’s gotta be something you evaluate,” Morris said. “You don't want to make yourself weaker by trying to strengthen one side of the field. You want to make yourself strong across the board.” 

In the case they move Bergeron outside, Wilkinson has experience playing the left guard position – and did for the Falcons in 2022 before they drafted Bergeron. They could also deploy Kyle Hinton to play that spot after he showed himself to be capable of at least holding the point of attack during preseason action. 

This move, while intriguing, still feels like an emergency-type decision that they are not yet ready to make. Morris expressed the confidence he has in offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and says the team has a plan for Week 1, but stopped short of disclosing what it is. 

They will have several options at their disposal, but it remains to be seen which of those would be best for the team moving forward. All we know for sure is that the Falcons will be challenged early and often. 

“What you're trying to do is, by the end of it, when you get down to it, who's going to be the best five that you feel like someone give you an opportunity to go out there and win,” Ledford said. 

In 2024, the Falcons were second in the NFL in both outside rushes (67.7%) and overall success rate (47.5%). A lot of that had to do with the presence of their stalwart right tackle. 

“That's more of what McGary does, and that's more of our strength and more of what we've been able to do,” Morris said. “We run the ball significantly better to the right side. There's no secret there.” 

Beyond the loss in their rushing game, the blindside of second-year quarterback Michael Penix has not been drawn into question. McGary, Penix, and the staff alike have all underplayed the significance of the role in today’s NFL, but that was when a veteran with 92 starts was in that position for the team. 

The other six players combined have just 64 career starts at tackle. 

The loss of McGary is going to be felt all season, but especially while Norton rehabs through the first few weeks of what had already figured to be a difficult stretch. The Falcons will face off against a pair of divisional foes and four teams that reached the postseason in their first five games. 

Now, they will look to traverse that landscape without any clear answers along their right side.