Falcons Send Guard Back to Injured Reserve

Atlanta Falcons second-year left guard Jalen Mayfield is heading back to Injured Reserve.

According to a tweet from ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, the 21-day practice window for Atlanta to activate Mayfield from the IR closed on Wednesday. December 7.

Mayfield initially landed on IR back on September 1st with a back injury, which head coach Arthur Smith never elaborated on.

Mayfield was designated to return from IR on November 16th, but was not ready to go for Atlanta’s Week 11 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

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Mayfield Was Thrown Into the Fire Last Fall

It’s no secret that Mayfield was thrown into the fire in 2021––his rookie year.

He was drafted as offensive line depth but ended up starting in 16 games during his rookie year after the Falcons lost veterans Matt Gono and Josh Andrews to injuries.

Prior to the NFL, Mayfield had started just 15 games in three years at Michigan.

This year was supposed to be a bounce-back season for Mayfield… a year to prove himself and the doubters wrong.

However, Mayfield received a lot of grief from critics and fans ahead of the 2022 season due to how he performed during his rookie year. In fact, many believed he wouldn’t make it out of the roster bubble.

People blatantly ignored the fact that the college to NFL jump is anything but easy. In reality, it surprise that Mayfield, who was brought in as a depth holder, struggled as a rookie and led the league in sacks allowed with 11. He also racked up 9 penalties, which tied for 8th-most.

Despite what critics had to say, Atlanta’s offensive line leader Chris Lindstrom believed in him.

“Jalen, you know, Jalen is a great teammate,” Lindstrom told Heavy.com on August 29. “And that’s the biggest thing as a player. You come in every day and he’s working to get better and you love him as a teammate and so that’s really it and that’s all you can ask for. So if a guy is putting their best foot forward, that’s what you always wanted as a teammate and respect and admire about him.”

Hopefully, the Falcons will give Mayfield a chance to come back and compete in 2023, but with other veterans doing a good job filling the left guard void, then that might not be the case.

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Falcons Starting LG En Route to Returning

On a brighter note, Falcons’ starting left guard Elijah Wilkinson made his return to practice from IR last week.

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.

Wilkinson, 27, beat out Mayfield for the starting job at left guard over the offseason.

He was a new addition to the Falcons’ squad this year after spending one season with the Chicago Bears. Before that, Wilkinson had spent a few years with the Denver Broncos after going undrafted in 2017.

His return comes during a pivotal time as the Falcons are still (barely) in the playoff hunt heading into Week 14.

 

 

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