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Bad news for the suddenly stout Falcons defensive line: Takkarist McKinley looks to have suffered a serious injury.
McKinley has had an uneven season. He has been getting a good amount of pressure, and may lead the league in “almost” sacks. He had only 0.5 sacks through 9 games, sharing a sack way back in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts.
He finally got his first full sack of the season, taking down Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen. It should be a moment for celebration. On the way down, McKinley braced for impact by stretching out his left arm. An offensive lineman was falling on top of McKinley, and brought down a lot of force on that arm and shoulder.
McKinley was clearly hurt immediately, and walked off clearly favoring his left arm/shoulder. It is bad news for a player desperately needing to break out. Shoulder injuries are not typically quick to rehabilitate. The rest of his 2019 season may be in doubt.
We will update his status but it would be surprising if he is able to return to the game.
Update 1.0: McKinley does not look like he is returning to the game, but the good news is he has avoided heading to the locker room.
#Falcons DL Takk McKinley is standing on the sideline talking to teammates and staff. Not holding a helmet right, but out of the injury tent and not going to the locker room at this point. Left the field with what looked like an arm/shoulder issue.
— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) November 17, 2019
Update 2.0: More potentially good news.
Takk is questionable to return with a shoulder injury. #Falcons
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey) November 17, 2019
Update:
Takk McKinley looks to be ok, as he is back on the field to begin the second half.
Takk McKinley's back on the football field to start the third quarter.
— Jason Butt (@JasonHButt) November 17, 2019