Falcons expect Elijah Wilkinson back against Browns

The Falcons were without starting left guard Elijah Wilkinson on Sunday, as he missed the game owing to a personal matter. Colby Gossett filled in and fared well, but that won’t be the cause of any kind of left guard controversy.

Per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, the Falcons expect that Wilkinson will be back at practice on Wednesday, and his starting job is waiting for him. I didn’t expect otherwise, but it’s nice to hear the team confirm it.

Wilkinson was the surprise winner of the left guard job over the summer, given that it was a position he hadn’t played in the pros up until this year, but he ran away with it over the summer and looked plenty capable against the Saints and Rams. Given that strong if limited track record and the need for Atlanta to protect Marcus Mariota from a fearsome Browns pass rush, Wilkinson’s return to the lineup will be a plus for Atlanta, who don’t get the luxury of facing off against a lackluster Seattle front two weeks in a row.

We hope that whatever situation Wilkinson was dealing with is resolved and he’s okay, and we’ll look forward to seeing him out there on Sunday against the Browns.