Matt Gono limited but will return to practice

Matt Gono played well enough this summer to get a first crack at the starting job at right tackle while Kaleb McGary geared up, but an injury heading into Week 1 effectively took him out of the running. After the McGary and Ty Sambrailo rotated last week, McGary got the job and will likely be the starter going forward.

Still, Gono may have a bright future with the team as their swing tackle, and he’ll be making his return this week. Sort of.

Dan Quinn indicated that he didn’t know whether Gono would be available on Sunday just yet, meaning he could very well be the team’s inactive offensive lineman. With Chris Lindstrom out and Jamon Brown starting at right guard, they’ll likely want Wes Schweitzer and John Wetzel up if Gono is anything less than 100%.

Over the long haul and when he’s healthy, Gono should absolutely be in consideration to play ahead of Ty Sambrailo in a pinch, especially at left tackle. He showed well last summer and has improved greatly since then, inspiring real confidence that if the team moves on from Sambrailo next year, they can feel good about Gono as their third tackle. That’s all a bit out in the future, but either way, it’ll be nice to have him back on the field soon.