Atlanta Falcons announced on Monday that they have released linebacker Takkarist “Takk” McKinley. The move comes after McKinley asked to be traded on several previous occasions.
McKinley was vocal in his desire to leave Atlanta and was pushing for trade ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The Falcons reportedly received several offers for the 2017’s first-round pick, but decided to reject those advances.
Disappointed with the outcome, McKinley went on social media to make his displeasure known and revealed that Atlanta didn’t accept offers that included fifth and six round picks. According to the 25-year-old player, he has been attempting to get traded since last year, but Falcons didn’t want to move him despite having a chance to get a second-rounder in return.
McKinley has been dealing with a hamstring injury that limited him to just four games in 2020. In those four games, he managed 1.0 sack, seven tackles, seven QB hits, and one pass defended.
Falcons previously decided not to pick up Takk McKinley’s fifth-year option, signaling that they don’t see the former UCLA product as part of their long-term future. This didn’t come as a surprise given that McKinley underperformed since entering the league and has only 17.5 sacks to show for in the past three and a half years.
There is no doubt that McKinley will have no trouble finding a new landing spot despite his struggles. The chances are that he will most likely clear waivers and then get signed to a minimum deal by a team he prefers.
