Kyle Shanahan Says 49ers Plan to Claim Ex-Falcons DE Again

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told local reporters on Tuesday that the 49ers plan to put another waiver claim on Takk McKinley.

The Atlanta Falcons had waived the defensive end just a week ago and he was claimed hours later by the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, as of Tuesday, Takk is up for grabs again after he failed his physical in Cincy.

“I was told today that Takk failed his physical,” Shanahan said, “and I know we put in a claim last time. I don’t think that’s until tomorrow at 1 (pm PT), but I know we plan on putting another claimer in.”

Takk’s 2020 Season So Far

McKinley has been dealing with a groin injury since Week 2, which has kept him from playing most of the 2020 season already. For two seasons now, Takk has been under the injury spell making him lose the trade value he once had.

Takk has played in four games this fall where he’s recorded just 8 tackles and 7 hits on the quarterback. Before leaving, McKinley started 25 games for the Falcons. He leaves the “Brotherhood” behind having posted 79 total tackles, 45 quarterback hits, 22 tackles for loss, and 17.5 sacks.

While he’s most recently been a bust due to injuries, McKinley lost over 40 pounds to “move faster” this offseason and is capable of a lot more when he is 100% healthy. It’s obvious Shanahan is well aware of this himself as he wants to put another claim in. The former first-round pick would be a nice addition to the 49ers’ banged-up roster, as long as Takk can come back stronger from his groin injury.

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Takk  Really Wanted to Leave Atlanta

Ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 3, rumors were swirling around McKinley saying the Falcons reportedly had offers to shop the 25-year-old but didn’t jump at any. We found this out from Takk himself, who tweeted the update on his personal account a day before the league’s deadline.

“The @AtlantaFalcons aren’t trading me. They have declined a handful of offers,” Takk Tweeted. 

He kept on with more tweets, calling the Falcons’ organization clowns for not trading him for the second-round draft pick they were offered in return last season. The fourth-year defender also shared that Atlanta had turned down a fifth and sixth-round pick in exchange for him as recently as this season.

Of course, Takk was punished for his tweets sharing insider information. Interim Falcons coach Raheem Morris considered suspending McKinley for his actions but decided to fine him an undisclosed amount instead. Then, Takk was released a few days later. Takk didn’t even delete the tweets after getting in trouble, so it’s obvious he didn’t care. He has wanted out of Atlanta since last year, so you have to respect Atlanta for finally granting him his wish.

Other Offers on Takk

Takk is a popular item on the market right now, so the 49ers are not the only ones after him.

According to reports, the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders also joined the Bengals and Niners in making a claim last week.

The good news for San Francisco is that they hold a higher position in the waiver order than the Browns or Vegas, so Takk will most likely be headed to Santa Clara unless Shanahan doesn’t jump in time.

San Fran has been struggling with pressuring opposing quarterbacks without Nick Bosa and Dee available. The defense has recorded just 18 sacks total in 10 games. Defensive end Kerry Hyder currently leads the team with 5.5 sacks.

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