FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Though the Falcons were without two starting offensive linemen in the second half of their Sunday loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, their ultimate status wasn't nearly as dire as it may have originally seemed.
Drew Dalman (ankle) and Kaleb McGary (knee) were injured in the second quarter of Sunday's game. By halftime they were both ruled out. Further imaging Monday revealed Dalman had suffered a high ankle sprain while McGary was believed to have strained his MCL, according to reports. Dalman was placed on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon, but McGary remained on the active roster. However, he did not participate in Wednesday's first practice of the week.
Asked in the locker room about his status this week, McGary told reporters that nothing "super, super bad" showed up on the MRI, and that he'll be day-to-day moving forward. He said its too early to tell whether or not he'll be full-go by kickoff against the New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday.
If he can't go, the Falcons will go back to Storm Norton at right tackle, who finished last Sunday's game in McGary's place. It's the place he remained through Wednesday's practice.
Meanwhile, Ryan Neuzil is expected to be the Falcons' starting center for the foreseeable future with Dalman on injured reserve.
To replenish depth on the offensive line, the Falcons elevated Elijah Wilkinson to the active roster from the practice squad and backfilled his practice squad spot with Matt Hennessy. Both Wilkinson and Hennessy have played meaningful snaps for the Falcons over the years at both guard and center, respectively.
Outside of McGary, the Falcons did not have any other player on the Wednesday injury report, which you can see in full here.
