When starting right tackle Kaleb McGary was rolled up on during a Falcons drive late in the first quarter, he looked to be in obvious pain.
McGary, a former first-round pick in his second year with the Falcons, immediately grabbed his left leg after going down and had to be attended to by team trainers on the field. When he was finally helped off the field, McGary seemed to avoid putting very much weight at all on his left leg and was taken to the locker room. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a knee injury.
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Following the Falcons' loss to the Cowboys, coach Dan Quinn said the team believed, at least initially, that none of the injuries sustained on Sunday would be long-term. On Monday, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted some positive news that seemed to reaffirm Quinn's initial statement.
McGary started all 16 games for the Falcons as a rookie and showed noticeable improvement at the start of the 2020 season, especially in pass protection. The Falcons' offensive line, as a whole, has done a much better job protecting quarterback Matt Ryan, who has been sacked three times through two games. If McGary is able to return to the starting lineup sooner rather than later, that will mean big things for a group looking to build continuity.
In addition to McGary, the Falcons had three other injuries of note from Sunday's game. Defensive end Takk McKinley left the action early due to a groin injury and did not return. Linebacker Foye Oluokun, who had three forced fumbles in the first quarter that sparked Atlanta's early lead, left the game due to cramping and was eventually ruled out with a hamstring injury. Finally, safety Ricardo Allen sustained an elbow injury while tackling Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott that forced him out of action for the afternoon.
When addressing the media on Monday, Quinn reiterated that, after speaking with doctors and team trainers, he was optimistic that none of the injuries would be of long-term concern.
"We're fortunate that, at this point, none of them are going to be long-term issues heading in," Quinn said. "We'll get a better feel as the week goes on. But, from a good-news standpoint, the MRIs and the visits with the doctors today, there's no one that's in a long-term space for a return to play."
The Falcons' first injury report before their upcoming Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears will be released Wednesday afternoon.
