When Kaleb McGary announced his retirement on Wednesday afternoon, Atlanta Falcons fans were pretty bummed out. Losing your starting right tackle when you have two left-handed quarterbacks vying for the starting job means more than just the Falcons lost a blindside protector. They lost continuity at right tackle, something they'd had since he was drafted in the first round in 2019.
McGary is on the wrong side of 30 and missed all of last season anyways, but his stability was something fans were ready to see return. But the sky isn't falling. Not only have the Falcons already replaced him with Jawaan Taylor, it seems that they'll actually be better off without him this season.
According to The Falcoholic's Kevin Knight, McGary's retirement saved the Falcons roughly $25 million across the next two seasons--roughly $11 million in 2026 and $14 million in 2027. Taylor is both younger and cheaper in 2026, which opens the door for Ian Cunningham to make more moves.
Kaleb McGary retiring saved the Falcons $25 million across the next two seasons
Knight noted that prior to signing Taylor, the Falcons had $24.8 million in cap space, but Taylor and the 2026 draft class have that number in the $18 million range. This means that following the NFL Draft, the Dirty Birds can capitalize on a second wave of free agency without losing any comp picks.
It seems highly unlikely that Atlanta ask him to repay the $3 million signing bonus in 2026 and 2027, which eat into the money they were supposed to receive in 2026. After making 92 starts in 93 games, the 31-year-old has earned that extra money that he should use as he rides off into the sunset.
As it stands currently, the Falcons have nine picks in the 2027 NFL Draft: six of their original draft picks and three compensatory selections they got because of their free agent departures this offseason, picking up a fifth rounder (Kaden Elliss), sixth rounder (Dee Alford), and seventh rounder (Arnold Ebiketie).
Between Taylor, Jack Nelson, the return of Storm Norton, and whatever rookie offensive tackle the Falcons draft, they're in a pretty good spot at the position. They can't do much worse than having to start Elijah Wilkinson anyways, but at least Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will remain upright.
Since the Falcons have only five draft picks, they can use this money to bring in help at the positions they fialed to address in the draft. Wide receiver, defensive tackle, and offensive tackles are the priorities in the draft, so hopefully this money goes toward some cornerback and edge rusher help.
The Washington product seems ready to move to Montana and live off the grid, so given the circumstances, I think both sides are happy with the sequence of events here.