Falcons Make Franchise Tag Decision on Kaleb McGary

Kaleb McGary now hits free agency after the Atlanta Falcons neglected to use the franchise tag on him.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 7, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The NFL's franchise tag deadline has come and gone, and the Atlanta Falcons are opting not to use it.

The top candidate for the franchise tag was offensive lineman Kaleb McGary, who's set to hit free agency for the first time in his career.

McGary, 28, had his fifth-year option declined last offseason after failing to live up to his first-round draft status in his first three NFL seasons. However, he was able to redeem himself last season and played really well for the Falcons.

McGary is coming off a career year in which he earned an 86.6 overall rating by Pro Football Focus.

McGary has started every game for the Falcons in the past two seasons, and Atlanta could be interested in signing him to a new deal, but not at the $18,244,000 price for the franchise tag.

According to Spotrac, McGary is set to receive a four-year, $70.9 million contract this offseason, and his play in 2022 certainly warrants that price tag.

The Falcons hold the second-most cap room in the entire league at close to $66 million, so Atlanta has the ability to spend, but McGary is one of the top offensive tackle free agents and should receive interest from a number of teams needing help in the trenches.

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Published Mar 7, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.