Falcons vs. Seahawks: Atlanta LG Elijah Wilkinson Ruled OUT Sunday
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The Atlanta Falcons have announced that they will be without starting left guard Elijah Wilkinson in Sunday's road matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
The cause for Wilkinson's absence has been listed as a "personal matter."
One of two new starters to Atlanta's offensive line, Wilkinson has been a key reason behind the group's early-season success, with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith stating that they've been "playing really well."
Through two games, the unit has allowed just three sacks and ranks seventh in the league in rushing yards per game at 145.
Wilkinson, 27, made the move to left guard this offseason after playing primarily right tackle throughout his career. He had experience at right guard, but never left. A career 29-game starter, Wilkinson joined the Falcons in March after spending the previous season with the Chicago Bears.
He spent the first four years of his career as a member of the Denver Broncos, where he developed into a consistent contributor on the line, starting 19 of 24 games appeared in over his final two seasons.
Despite having relative success elsewhere, Smith and the Falcons saw Wilkinson's best fit at left guard, and he quickly overtook last year's starter, Jalen Mayfield, in training camp. Wilkinson's absence comes at an unfortunate time, as he was fresh off a solid performance against the Los Angeles Rams and star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, per Smith.
"I think Elijah's handled that transition really well," Smith said earlier this week. "I thought (the Rams) was his best game. It was a heck of a challenge, they moved Donald (to) a lot of spots, and our guys handled it and they adapted. It wasn't perfect, but I think there's been a lot of progress over there."
Wilkinson is likely to be replaced by backup Colby Gossett, who started four games at left guard for the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 and is in his second season as a reserve lineman in Atlanta.
With Wilkinson out, Gossett and the rest of the Falcons' offensive line will look to step up in his absence. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. at Lumen Field.
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