Kaleb McGary's Done, and the Falcons Aren't Wasting Any Time Finding His Replacement

Atlanta's losing one of the best right tackles in football. Kaleb McGary, the Falcons' starting RT, is officially retiring at 31, his agent announced this week. The knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season apparently left him done with the game. Now the Falcons have to scramble to protect the blindside for two left-handed quarterbacks heading into 2026.

McGary's Exit Leaves a Huge Hole

This is a significant loss. McGary started 92 games over six seasons in Atlanta and was a cornerstone of one of the NFL's most stable offensive lines. He was an elite run blocker, the kind of guy who made life easy for running backs in the ground game. The Falcons even signed him to a two-year, $30 million extension last summer, so nobody saw this coming. Matt Ryan, the Falcons president of football operations who played alongside McGary from 2019 to 2021, released a statement saying McGary was an outstanding teammate who made a tremendous impact on the organization.

Falcons Move Fast on Jawaan Taylor

The Falcons didn't waste any time. On Wednesday, they agreed to a one-year deal with right tackle Jawaan Taylor. The contract carries a base value of $5 million with an additional $1 million in incentives, according to Taylor's agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey. It's a quick pivot to fill a spot that's critical for protecting Michael Penix Jr. and fellow left-hander Tua Tagovailoa under center in 2026.

McGary's retirement creates an unexpected reshuffling for Atlanta's offense, but they've already locked in their fix. Now the real test is whether Taylor can step in and deliver the kind of continuity and elite run blocking that McGary brought to the line.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.