Getty Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons activated 30-year-old guard Josh Andrews from the injured reserve on Monday, Oct. 18.
Prior to landing on the IR with a broken hand, Andrews was the presumed starting left guard for the 2021 season. But when he became unavailable, rookie guard Jalen Mayfield was put to the test in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles and ultimately failed.
In case you missed it here is a summary of what his first NFL performance looked like:
The Falcons lost 32-6 and Mayfield was responsible for 2 of the 3 sacks on quarterback Matt Ryan.
“I have to do everything better,” Mayfield told reporters after the loss. “There’s not one thing in my game that’s fully complete. I have to improve on everything that I do.”
As for head coach Arthur Smith? He said he had “all the faith in the world” in Mayfield, but would look at other options for Week 2.
“I wouldn’t say that it got too big for him, he’s certainly not going to be pleased with his performance,” Smith said. “He knows what the issues are. He’s a tough-minded guy.”
So, flash forward to Week 7 and Mayfield isn’t going anywhere––even with Andrews back in the mix.
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The Rookie Is Not Moving
The Falcons released their Week 7 depth chart against the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday and Andrews was not listed anywhere on the starting front. He was, however, listed behind Mayfield.
When asked on Wednesday if Andrews would slide back into the starting left guard role, Smith was adamant Mayfield would not be moving––even if starting right tackle Kaleb McGary is unavailable this week.
“No. Jalen is not moving.” Arthur Smith said Jalen Mayfield will stay at left guard regardless of what happens at right tackle.
I definitely think this is the right decision, for sure.
This makes sense since Mayfield has yet to play a snap all season.
What Will Happen at Right Tackle?
With McGary out on Sunday, Smith said the team will turn to backups, Jason Spriggs or Colby Gossett.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said it would be Jason Spriggs or Colby Gossett if Kaleb McGary can’t go at RT.
They won’t move Jalen Mayfield from LG.
The Falcons added Spriggs to their roster back in July. The 17-year-old was originally a second-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2016, but injuries kept him from ever being a major contributor. Through five years in the NFL career, he’s appeared in 44 games with nine starts.
As for Gossett,26, the Falcons claimed him off waivers at the beginning of September when Andrews was injured. It was sort of a “homecoming” when the Falcons did so as he is a Cumming, Ga. native. Gossett first entered the league after he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round (213th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Appalachian State. Through four seasons thus far, he has appeared in five games with four starts all at left guard for the Arizona Cardinals back in 2018. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound lineman has also had stints with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns before making the decision to opt out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrews is another guard the Falcons might weave into the right tackle spot depending on how Spriggs and Gossett perform.