Falcons Make Roster Move, Sign Rookie OL

The Atlanta Falcons added to the depth of their offensive line, signing former Minnesota Vikings guard and center Matthew Cindric.

The Atlanta Falcons signed offensive lineman Matthew Cindric, who played at Cal in college, to their practice squad Tuesday. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons have added depth to their offensive line.

Atlanta announced Tuesday it has signed offensive lineman Matthew Cindric to the practice squad. The move comes one day after the Falcons lost practice squad offensive guard Andrew Stueber to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 25-year-old Cindric attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he played in 35 games and drew 34 starts -- 17 at center and 17 at right guard. He redshirted in 2018 before playing from 2019-23 for the Golden Bears.

A four-time Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll selection, Cindric earned several off-field accolades during his time at Cal. He was a two-time semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year and Wuerffel Trophy, and was one of 22 student-athletes named to the AFCA Good Works Team in 2023, according to the Falcons' release.

Cindric, who stands 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, went undrafted in 2024 and signed with the Minnesota Vikings post-draft. He was released May 31 after Minnesota signed veteran guard Dalton Risner, but the Vikings re-signed Cindric on Aug. 21.

The Sammamish, Wash., native was waived once more during final roster cuts Aug. 26 and has been a free agent since.

Cindric worked out for the Falcons on Monday and evidently impressed enough to warrant a practice squad spot. He's one of two offensive linemen on Atlanta's practice squad, joining center Matt Hennessy, who's already been promoted to the active roster twice on gamedays and can only be elevated one more time this season.

The Falcons return to practice Wednesday at IBM Performance in Flowery Branch, Ga., before taking on the Carolina Panthers at 4:25 p.m. Sunday inside Bank of America Stadium.