Yahoo Finance Former Falcon Takk McKinley fails Bengals physical, waived again
Takk McKinley’s stint with the Cincinnati Bengals is over before it started.
The former Atlanta Falcons defensive end claimed off waivers last week by the Bengals failed his physical, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. The Bengals released him, and he’s back on waivers again, according to the report.
McKinley’s dramatic exit from Atlanta
McKinley, a first-round pick in 2017, was released by the Falcons after McKinley repeatedly complained about the team not trading him at the NFL trade deadline on Twitter. Atlanta interim head coach Raheem Morris reprimanded McKinley to reporters, and the team fined him for his social media outburst before releasing him.
McKinley was hampered by a groin injury that limited his availability this season. It’s not clear if that injury led to his failed physical.
McKinley a first-round disappointment
The Falcons selected McKinley with the 26th pick in the 2017 NFL draft out of UCLA. The edge rusher tallied 17.5 career sacks and 22 tackles for loss in 49 games with Atlanta, falling short of his first-round pedigree. Atlanta declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract during the offseason.
While his play failed to meet expectations, he was still a rotation player when healthy before his rift with the team outweighed his contributions. The Bengals had interest after the trade of Carlos Dunlap to the Seattle Seahawks created a need on their defensive line.
The Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers also reportedly made waiver claims for McKinley last week. Whether they still have interest after McKinley’s failed physical is yet to be determined.
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