Falcons Waive Starting DE, Former First-Round Pick

On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons announced that they have waived starting defensive end Takk McKinley.

McKinley has been nursing a groin injury since Week 2, which has kept him out from playing most of the season this year already.

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In the four games McKinley has played this fall, he recorded just eight tackles, one tackle for a loss, and seven hits on the quarterback. McKinley started 25 games for the Falcons in his four seasons in Atlanta. He will finish having recorded 79 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 17.5 sacks and 45 hits on the quarterback.

Falcons Decline McKinley’s Fifth-Year Option

When the Falcons declined Takk’s fifth year, he published the Tweet below, which we now know it meant he was happy about it because he wanted out of Atlanta this whole time.

The Falcons wanted him to prove himself this season, but he was reinjured.

Before getting beat up with injuries, McKinley made a name for himself across the league. The UCLA product was selected by the Falcons in the first round with the 26th overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft. Even before he entered the NFL, he had some shoulder issues that stopped him from turning into the pass rusher Atlanta expected.

Atlanta most likely wouldn’t trade him last year because they know what he’s capable of and this year, because his contract was coming to an end or they didn’t like the offer.

Falcons Fine Takk for Tweeting

Ahead of November 3rd’s trade deadline, trade rumors were swirling around Takk, but the Falcons didn’t budge or at least get an offer they would have liked.

We found this out via McKinnley himself.

“The Atlanta Falcons aren’t trading me. They have declined a handful of offers,” Takk tweeted out last Monday.

That’s not all. He then had the courage to call the Falcons clowns for not trading him for a second-round draft pick last year. This year, they also reportedly turned down a fifth and sixth-round pick trade deal.

The tweets still keep on coming. Atlantic Journal-Constitution reporter, Jason Butt apparently tried to shut down that Takk never received a second-round trade offer. Takk wasn’t afraid to call him out.

McKinley Wasn’t Happy in Atlanta

It’s obvious McKinley wasn’t happy in Atlanta and wanted to move on. He revealed he’s been asking to get traded the past two years. It was interesting that the Falcons didn’t confirm a deal.

Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris said in a press conference last week that McKinley handed things incorrectly and that he will be held accountable for his actions. Morris brought it down to being suspended or simply not playing.

“There’s an option to suspend and there’s an option not to play. . . . We’ll talk to Takk and get that thing done,” Morris said, via Jason Butt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Instead, the team decided to fine him for his tweets…..I hope he asks for his money back.

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