Chuma Edoga starts at left guard against Chicago Bears

The Falcons are still shuffling guards with three left guards on injured reserve. Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield, and Elijah Wilkinson remain on injured reserve, with Wilkinson having looked pretty stout before his injury. Last week, Colby Gossett played at guard but this week he’s on the bench.

Chuma Edoga was a surprise start at guard on Sunday. Atlanta has struggled at left guard for years, with injuries piling up in 2022. Edoga was claimed by the Falcons during roster cutdowns, but the former New York Jets blocker had only played a few snaps on special teams since the start of the season.

In fact, Edoga was listed on Atlanta’s depth chart as a backup to Jake Matthews at left tackle. Instead, he takes Colby Gossett’s spot

Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield, and Elijah Wilkinson

So who is Edoga? He’s a Georgia native who played college ball at USC before being drafted in the 3rd round in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 308-pound blocker played 24 games with the Jets from 2019 to 2021 where he played both tackle spots. He dealt with a few injuries which saw him drop down the depth chart. He was waived at final cutdowns before the Falcons scooped him up.

The offensive line looked good early, with the Falcons scoring 7 points on its first drive.