Connect with us

Features

Atlanta Falcons Have Some Decisions to Make

With the NFL quickly approaching, players are forced to make decisions on whether or not they want to opt out of the season due to the risky conditions of playing in the middle of a global pandemic. Everyone has different circumstances in their personal lives that could make a decision like this harder than it would for others. This is certainly true of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. 

“You have to do what is best for yourself and for your family, and your loved ones around you,” Ryan told NBC Sports recently. “If you are around people who are at risk I’d encourage you to really think long and hard about it. For me specifically I feel like I am in a situation where my day to day is not surrounded by people who are at risk and we are able to bubble our little world and make sure we are being as safe as possible. So I feel comfortable coming in and getting ready to start the season.” 

The Atlanta Falcons now have a total of six players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which can be detrimental to the team as a whole for the upcoming season. Backup quarterback Danny Etling, defensive tackle Tyeler Davison, and linebacker Foye Oluokun, were the three most recent additions to the list. On top of these three players, the Falcons already have safeties Jamal Carter and Jaylinn Hawkins, and fullback Keith Smith on the list, as well. The list represents players who have either tested positive or have been in contact with someone who has, but the teams are not allowed to specify this information. 

Having so many players added to this list so close to the NFL startup is worrisome for a team who wants to make a comeback. Foye Oluokun was expected to be put into the starting role this season alongside linebacker Deion Jones, so losing him would be a huge loss for the team. The Falcons selected Foye in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he has since appeared in a total of 32 games, and made 153 tackles. The Atlanta Falcons Organization and all of the fans can only hope that Foye, and all of the players on the list, comes back with a full recovery to help lead the team to the playoffs. 

On top of all the players that have been added to the reserve list, Atlanta has also released and waived multiple players. They recently announced that they released punter Ryan Allen who joined the team in the middle of the 2019 season. Ultimately, Allen’s punting was below his career average, and with the team’s recent draft pick in April, punter Sterling Hofrichter, they now have no need for a below average punter. Four undrafted college free agents, center Austin Capps, tight end Caleb Repp, linebacker Jordan Williams, and right tackle Scottie Dill, were all waived and unfortunately did not get to showcase their skills due to the pandemic. This brings the team down to 79 players, being that the players on the reserve/COVID-19 list don’t currently count. 

The Falcons will have a lot of decisions to make once reserve/COVID-19 list players return. Continuous news of players being added to this list or waived from the team does not sit well with the organization or the fans being that everyone wants all of the players safe, healthy and actively playing. The hope is to not see any more players added to this list going further, but that is most likely not realistic due to the pandemic. Playing the game is now a big decision for players who have family and loved ones who may be at risk for COVID-19, which could mean losing even more players for the upcoming season. All we can do now is hope to have our beloved players back and keep them healthier than ever just in time for the start of the 2020-21 season. 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured Articles

Featured Writers

More in Features