The Atlanta Falcons have chosen not to pick up the fifth-year option on Takk McKinley’s contract, and the defensive end is not hiding how he feels about it.
While the Falcons have not made an official announcement, McKinley took to Twitter on Wednesday with a simple message about his contract. He said his fifth-year option has been declined by the team and included the praying hands emoji.
5th year declined
— Takkarist McKinley (@Takk) April 29, 2020
McKinley will now be eligible for free agency following the 2020 season, and hitting free agency sooner is almost always what players want. Despite the somewhat disappointing start to his NFL career, he should still have plenty of suitors.
The Falcons took McKinley with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 draft. The former UCLA star was considered one of the best pass-rushers in the draft that year, but he has just 16.5 sacks total in his first three NFL seasons. He’s made some bold predictions that he couldn’t live up to, and Atlanta likely believes he can be replaced at a cheaper price than the fifth-year option would cost.
