Kaleb McGary’s future with the Atlanta Falcons is back under the microscope this 2026 offseason, even though he would still be the clear starter if the season began today. The right tackle missed the entire 2025 season because of injury, and Atlanta now has to decide how long it can keep waiting on his health.
The Falcons handed McGary a two-year extension to stabilize a position they wanted settled, but the club is not in a clean position to move on. Spotrac says a cut would bring a $14.9 million dead cap hit, while a post-June 1 trade would free up $13.4 million in cap space. That makes it hard to imagine Atlanta finding a trade partner, and it helps explain why the team is more likely to ride out the 2026 season before making a final call on his future.
That patience comes with a cost. McGary’s health remains an unknown quantity, and the Falcons have to plan as if they cannot count on him the way they once hoped. If they want insurance, they could add depth through the draft or bring in a veteran to compete for the starting job. For now, Storm Norton is the swing tackle behind McGary and Jake Matthews, and Matthews is getting older, which only raises the pressure on Atlanta’s tackle depth.
Matt Ryan is running football operations, and the decisions ahead will reflect how much trust the Falcons have in McGary after a season lost to injury. Atlanta does not need to rush, but it also cannot ignore the risk that its best answer at right tackle may come with the same question it has been asking all along: whether McGary can stay healthy enough to hold the job.
