Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takk McKinley underwent surgery on Thursday to repair an injury to his left shoulder.
The 22-year-old posted a picture of himself at the hospital both before and after the surgery, which the Falcons described as a “minor” procedure, per ESPN’s Vaughn McClure.
https://twitter.com/Takk/status/959160013511016448
https://twitter.com/Takk/status/959213101051559937
In his post-surgery photo, McKinley included a caption that people “best believe double digit sacks coming next year now that we will have two good shoulders.”
McKinley was the Falcons’ first-round selection in 2017 as they picked him 26th overall out of UCLA. He had a strong rookie campaign as he recorded six sacks, 20 tackles, and two forced fumbles as he played all 16 games. He also had a sack in each of the Falcons’ two playoff games.
This isn’t the first time McKinley has undergone surgery on his shoulder. He also had a procedure done on his right shoulder prior to the draft. He claimed to have a torn labrum and a fracture in the shoulder socket. But after missing the first preseason game, he was virtually an ever-present upon his return.
McKinley is part of the Falcons’ promising young defensive core, which also includes the likes of Vic Beasley Jr., Deion Jones, Grady Jarrett, and Keanu Neal. Their hope is for McKinley to turn into another top pass rusher alongside Beasley, who had 15.5 sacks in his second season.
McKinley’s chances of achieving the same feat in his sophomore campaign should increase if he's able to come back 100 percent after undergoing the surgery to repair his ailing shoulder.
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