The Falcons officially have a depth issue along the offensive line.
The club announced they’ve placed interior lineman Matt Hennessy on the injured reserve on Wednesday.
This marks the second offensive lineman to hit the IR. Ethan Greenidge was in line to potentially be the club’s swing tackle but recently suffered a severe injury.
Now, we are at a point where we are hoping Jalen Mayfield is serviceable enough to be the team’s swing tackle, and Ryan Nuezil is the team’s first interior reserve. Neither is ideal.
There isn’t a competent backup on the roster right now. Neuzil is a much better option than Mayfield, but it’s concerning nonetheless. Hennessy hasn’t practiced in over two weeks, and Arthur Smith never gave any information on the outlook.
He was in line to potentially start at left guard, competing with rookie second-round pick Matthew Bergeron. Hennessy began training camp running with the first team, but this injury essentially solidifies Bergeron as the starter.
After joining the Falcons as a fourth-round pick, Hennessy started 17 games at center during Arthur Smith’s first season at the helm. He eventually lost the job during last year’s training camp to Drew Dalman, eventually moving over to left guard and starting two games there in 2022.
It’s a terrible hand Hennessy has been dealt. Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious that will affect his career. Still, he’s out for at least 2023, and it’s a brutal blow because his versatility along the interior was extremely valuable for this club. The Falcons depth along the offensive line is worrisome; I would expect multiple moves in the coming days to address the interior as well as swing tackle.
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Photographer: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire
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