Falcons Starter ‘Has a Chance’ to Return From IR This Week

Getty Head coach Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons.

There is a chance the Atlanta Falcons could be getting a key piece to their offensive line back this week.

Starting left guard Elijah Wilkinson “has a shot” at returning to practice as early as November 30, according to head coach Arthur Smith.

“A chance to get Elijah back at practice,” Smith told reporters on November 28. “We’ll have to see how that goes toward Wednesday.”

Falcons Sent Wilkinson to IR Earlier This Month

The Falcons placed Wilkinson on injured reserve with a knee injury on November 5. Per league rules, players on IR must remain sidelined for at least four weeks.

“We just have to see how it goes,” Smith said. “See if he’s ready to practice on Wednesday. Obviously, if he is ready, see how he looks by the end of the week. … He has a shot. We’re just not ready to make that decision today. We’ll have more discussions about it.”

Once Wilkinson returns to practice, the Falcons have a 21-day activation window.

While it’s still up in the air, Wilkinson’s possible return couldn’t come at a better time as the Falcons have taken a brutal hit at left guard, having had to start four different guards there this season.

Falcons Favored Wilkinson Over Jalen Mayfield

Wilkinson is a new face to Atlanta this season after signing a one-year deal with the team in March. He came to Atlanta following one season with the Chicago Bears. Prior to that, he had spent a few years with the Denver Broncos after going undrafted in 2017.

Though he had spent five seasons in the league, he came with little experience, starting only 27 games, mainly for Denver, where he played both right tackle and right guard. So, when the Falcons signed him, many thought head coach Arthur Smith’s intention was to have him put pressure on Kaleb McGary for a roster spot.

But that ended up not being the case because Wilkinson nestled right into the left guard job with Jalen Mayfield as his only real competition at the time.

Mayfield, a 2021 third-round pick for Atlanta, struggled his rookie year after being thrown into a messy offensive line following injuries to Matt Gono and Josh Andrews.

With Mayfield taking time to adjust to the NFL, Smith and company have favored the way Wilkinson plays at left guard.

“I won’t go into specifics, but a lot of times certain things he’s doing are the way it needs to be done,” Smith said back in July, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “I think that’s a good thing for Jalen, so he can step up and make it a competition and we’ll see where it goes. We’re not down on Jalen. It’s more about what Elijah is doing right.”

Mayfield landed on IR with a back injury ahead of the Falcons’ Week 1 win over the Saints. He was eligible to return in Week 4 against the Browns but didn’t make his first practice appearance until November 16, ahead of Week 11’s matchup vs. the Bears. The Falcons have yet to activate Mayfield from the 21-day window.