After just seven NFL seasons, Kaleb McGary is calling it a career.
The Falcons' starting right tackle announced his retirement Wednesday via a social media post from his agent. Atlanta has since announced the news.
"I truly enjoyed my time playing alongside Kaleb," Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said in a statement. "He was an outstanding teammate and had a tremendous career as a Falcon. We are grateful for the impact he made on this organization, and we wish him nothing but the best in retirement."
Atlanta shuffled its O-line in the wake of McGary's season-ending injury last August with a starting left-handed QB, Michael Penix Jr., at the helm. That issue remains as Tua Tagovailoa enters the fold in 2026, and the Falcons moved swiftly by signing former Jaguars and Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor to a one-year deal with a base value of $5 million on Wednesday, ESPN reported.
A 2019 first-round pick out of Washington, McGary arrived as the final piece of Atlanta's trio of key linemen, teaming with longtime left tackle Jake Matthews to provide the Falcons with bookend tackles, with veteran center Alex Mack manning the middle. McGary became a stalwart along Atlanta's front five, making 92 starts in 93 games from 2019-2024 and shoring up the right side despite frequent change at quarterback.
McGary's reputation as a dependable tackle took a hard turn in 2025 when he suffered a lower left leg injury during the late stages of training camp, requiring a cart to exit the field. For the first time in his career, McGary did not appear in double-digit games in a season, missing the entire campaign due to the injury, an especially unfortunate outcome given he'd recently signed a contract extension through 2027.
Those would ultimately be McGary's final snaps as a pro. He walks away with seven seasons spent protecting a variety of quarterbacks, including Ryan, Kirk Cousins and Penix on his resume, which he can be proud as he strolls into retirement.
