Falcons Get Worst Case Scenario Update on Kaleb McGary: Report

In addition to the cuts to trim the roster down to 53 players by Tuesday's deadline, Atlanta Falcons fans were anxiously awaiting for an update on right tackle Kaleb McGary this week.

Unfortunately, they received the worst possible update they could.

ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported Tuesday that McGary will not be able to return for the 2025 NFL season. The right tackle suffered a leg injury in practice last week before the Week 3 preseason finale.

RT Kaleb McGary is out for the season. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 26, 2025

Initially, NFL Network insiders simply tweeted that McGary would begin the 2025 NFL season on injured reserve. But that wasn't really "news" as that was an expected outcome.

The update was going to be for how many games McGary would be on IR.

According to Raimondi, it will be all of them.

Atlantafalcons.com's Terrin Waack confirmed Raimondi's report, announcing on the team website Tuesday that McGary will miss the season.

"Among their transactions required to meet the NFL's roster reduction deadline was the placement of McGary on injured reserve — without a designation to return," wrote Waack.

Falcons Set to Lose Right Tackle Kaleb McGary for Entire 2025 NFL Season

McGary out for the season is a significant blow for the Falcons offensive line, which previously had built a reputation as one of the healthiest lines in the league.

While McGary has never made the All-Pro team or Pro Bowl, he's been a reliable starter for several years. In 2025, he was set to protect first-year starting quarterback Michael Penix's blindside because Penix is a left-handed quarterback.

McGary is better in run blocking than pass protection. However, his pass blocking was likely to be much better than Atlanta's options without him available.

Falcons swing tackle Storm Norton underwent ankle surgery last week and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. With Norton to begin the season on injured reserve, the earliest he could return is early October.

But if it takes Norton closer to eight weeks to come back, a mid-to-late October return should be the expectation.

Without both McGary and Norton, the Falcons could play a large portion of the early season with Elijah Wilkinson or Jack Nelson starting at right tackle. Brandon Parker was another possibility, but he was part of Atlanta's roster cuts Tuesday.

Wilkinson played two games for the Falcons last season. He has started 45 games with four different teams in his NFL career. Atlanta drafted Parker in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, the Falcons also made a trade for Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Michael Jerrell on Tuesday. Atlanta acquired Jerrell for a conditional seventh-round pick.

After the team selected him in the 2024 sixth-round, Jerrell started three games for the Seahawks last season.