Falcons coach Dan Quinn let the cat out of the bag a couple months ago, and now it’s official: Atlanta is not picking up the fifth-year option on defensive end Takk McKinley’s rookie contract.
McKinley himself confirmed on Twitter that the Falcons didn’t pick up the option.
That’s no surprise, despite Quinn trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube after saying in February that the option wouldn’t be picked up. McKinley, the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, is coming off shoulder surgery and had only 3.5 sacks in 13 games last season. The fifth-year option would have been $10.1 million, guaranteed for injury, and that’s simply more than the Falcons were willing to consider.
The 2020 season will be the final year on McKinley’s rookie deal, and he’ll have a cap hit this year of $3.25 million.