Since the Atlanta Falcons have two left-handed quarterbacks on the roster in Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, it makes their right tackle position that much more important than left tackle, since it'll protect their blindside. So fans were excited to see Kaleb McGary return after missing all of 2025.
However, McGary's return is no longer in sight as he just shocked the world by announcing his retirement. This means that the Falcons are going to have to add a tackle either via free agency or the upcoming NFL Draft to fill this void, and his sudden retirement shakes their offensive line to its core.
Just a few weeks ago, Kevin Stefanski was talking about him having him ready for training camp. This is proof that life comes at you fast in the NFL and you never know what to expect. The offensive line looked to be in a fantastic spot under the legendary Bill Callahan, but now there is one big hole to fill.
Kaleb McGary's retirement will shake the Falcons' offensive line to its core
The 31-year-old was a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and was one of the most durable linemen in the NFL before missing all of last season with an injury suffered in training camp. He made 92 starts in six (technically seven) seasons and was quietly one of the team's more productive OL.
McGary's contract was set to expire next offseason after signing a two-year extension with the Dirty Birds prior to the 2025 season. Being on the wrong side of 30, Atlanta was likely going to look at long-term successors for him this offseason anyways, but now right tackle is a major sore spot to address.
At 48, guys like Max Iheanachor, Blake Miller, and Gennings Dunker could be options, as could veteran Jack Conklin, who is still available in free agency and played for Stefanski in Cleveland. This is a pretty sudden loss, but we'll still miss the Washington Husky and thank him for all he did for the Falcons.
This is what you hire a legendary OL coach for, so Callahan and Stefanski need to move fast to fill that hole on the blind side, or else we'll have another Elijah Wilkinson situation.