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The Atlanta Falcons and veteran offensive tackle Matt Gono have “mutually agreed” to part ways, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Gono’s contract isn’t set to expire until the start of the new league year, but an early release will give him plenty of time to find a new home.
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Matt Gono Was Set to Start at Left Guard
Heading into the 2021 season, Gono was the projected left guard starter, but unexpected shoulder surgery kept him on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) all year.
Gono,25, originally signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL draft and was inactive and didn’t really start getting any playing time until his third year. He spent 2020 as the backup swing tackle behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary where he saw action action in all 16 games with four starts. He played a total of 337 offensive snaps in addition to 80 snaps on special teams. He signed his restricted free agent tender last offseason, which cost the Falcons $3.3 million and is guaranteed.
According to his agent, Gono is fully healthy again. which means he shouldn’t have any trouble signing with a new team.
The Falcons Turned to Jalen Mayfield at LG
With Gono sidelined last season, the Falcons turned to rookie Jalen Mayfield to start at left guard and it was not a pretty sight.
The 2021 third-round pick allowed not only 11 sacks on Matt Ryan, but also 21 quarterback hits, and 25 hurries through 16 starts.
But you can’t blame the rookie for a poor first year after he was thrown into the fire as a starter in year one. Not to mention, that Mayfield went from starting right tackle at Michigan to a starter at left guard in the NFL.
While his improvement may not be that noticeable to many fans, Mayfield believes he’s getting better.
“Whatever people want to say, or see, I know – and everybody in the building knows – I’m giving it my all,” Mayfield told Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. “I see the improvement.”
More importantly, head coach Arthur Smith can see it too.
“I think week after week, he’s gotten better,” Smith said via Sports Illustrated. “Certainly, some weeks present maybe some more difficult matchups for him. But I think he’s handled it. … I think it’s a tough job for a rookie to go in there and start on the offensive line and he’s been consistent.”
He added: “A lot of players, certainly rookies, there’s areas to improve. … If you look at the whole body of work, he’s played decently well. … He’s a young guy. You would think he would have a pretty good jump in Year 2.”
Until they bolster their offensive line in free agency or the draft, it looks like Mayfield is still a front runner for the starting left guard spot next season as well.
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