The Atlanta Falcons are in an awkward position as a franchise. Atlanta finished the 2024 regular season 8-9 and missed the playoffs despite being in a weak NFC South division. The Falcons have a number of talented players on both sides of the ball, but they have not been able to consistently turn those into wins.
Atlanta made some big swings during last year’s offseason. The Falcons signed QB Kirk Cousins to a huge four-year, $180 million contract during free agency. Unfortunately, the two sides are already on the outs and Cousins could even be cut during this offseason.
The Falcons also spent the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on QB Michael Penix Jr. from Washington. The pick shocked many Falcons fans, and NFL fans in general, after Atlanta invested big money in Cousins. Now it is looking like a smart move because it gives Atlanta a long-term option at the position.
Now the Falcons must transition into offseason mode and attempt to fix what went wrong in 2024. Sadly, that is much easier said than done.
The Falcons enter the offseason roughly $11 million over the 2025 salary cap. As a result, Atlanta has some work to do just to become cap compliant. They’ll need to clear even more cap space if they actually want to sign their draft picks and add free agents to the roster.
Atlanta can accomplish this in several different ways. They could restructure contracts to push money into future seasons. The Falcons could also trade players with bloated salaries to another team for some cap relief.
The most likely outcome will be a handful of players being cut to create more cap space for others. But who could it be?
Below we will explain why one Falcons player could become a surprise roster cut during the 2025 NFL offseason.
Kaleb McGary could easily become a cap casualty this offseason by the Falcons
It may be sad for Falcons fans to imagine a future without right tackle Kaleb McGary. Unfortunately, he makes an easy target as a cap casualty.
McGary started his NFL career in Atlanta after being drafted with the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has played for the Falcons ever since and is currently their starting right tackle.
The easiest argument to make for cutting McGary revolves around his contract. Atlanta could save $14.5 million in cap space in 2025 if they cut McGary. He is in the final year of his contract and should not leave any dead money on the books in future years if released.
All of that information is important for two reasons.
First, cutting McGary instantly puts the Falcons in the black from a financial perspective. There are few players on Atlanta’s roster who can create as much cap space when cut without any serious repercussions. That alone makes McGary a tempting target.
Second, McGary will be 30 years old during the 2025 NFL season. This, combined with his expiring contract, could mean that he does not have a realistic future in Atlanta past the 2025 season. His $16.5 million cap hit likely is not worth it for only one more season of production.
I also want to note why I chose McGary specifically as a surprising cut candidate. Since McGary is an entrenched starter, with no established backup, I believe it would be somewhat shocking for him to be cut.
Someone like Grady Jarrett could also be cut, but that would not be as surprising. Atlanta already has young players like Brandon Dorlus and Ruke Orhorhoro waiting in the wings to replace Jarrett. Meanwhile, there is nobody in place as as backup plan if the Falcons cut McGary.
This could be the right offseason for Atlanta to move on from McGary as well. NFL free agency should include a number of tackles who could replace McGary, ranging from expensive plug-and-play starters to cheaper backup types. The Falcons would not be limited to simply choosing player X or player Y because there are only two available. They would have options.
Similarly, this year’s draft class features several talented tackle prospects, many who are projected to be picked in the first round. Atlanta holds the 15th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which positions them well to select one of these tackles if they so desire.
All of that said, the Falcons do not need a concrete plan for replacing McGary to move on from him. His contract alone may be enough to get him cut this offseason.
If McGary is cut before free agency, he should have a market for his services.
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