ESPN: Takk McKinley will avoid starting season on PUP list

After having a shoulder surgery in the offseason, it appears as if Falcons DE Takkarist McKinley is healthy and ready to go.

ESPN’s Vaughn McClure reports that McKinley will avoid being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Many of us forget that McKinley has been working to the side all offseason as he rehabs from surgery, so this actually comes as a nice boost for him getting ready to grow in camp. Shoulder surgeries take time to heal from, and, as McClure notes, he had one last offseason, too, before his rookie season. That didn’t seem to hold him back much from making an impact right away, though. So, all signs looks good for continued Takk elevation.

The pass rush looks promising on paper at the moment with McKinley and Vic Beasley rushing from the sides and Brooks Reed factoring in there, though we’ll need to see Beasley put a full season together to add to that league-best 2016 campaign. We’ll also need to see McKinley continue to blossom into a young star, which is right around where he was to close the season. Having his health in order for that is a great reassurance.

He’s got a lot of road ahead of him, though we’ll have to watch how his health holds up. Two shoulder surgeries this young in his career shouldn’t worry you too much, but, y’know, the team will need to be mindful of this going ahead to make sure he’s on the right program to keep him healthy and on the field.

With everything looking like it’s ship-shape for Takk health-wise at the moment, we’ll look forward watching him make that next step to be one of the team’s better defensive players.