Prior to the 2021 season, the Atlanta Falcons let veteran center Alex Mack leave in free agency and released guard James Carpenter.
This left two vacancies along the offensive line and while Matt Hennessy took over at center as expected, Matt Gono was unable to step in at guard due to a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. Rookie Jalen Mayfield ended up starting at left guard with mixed results.
On Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons and Gono have mutually agreed to his release.
The #Falcons and OT Matt Gono have mutually agreed on his release today, source said. His contract expires at the start of the league year, but the team does him a solid and releases him now. Gono is recovered from shoulder surgery and should have a nice market.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 28, 2022
Gono was the team’s swing tackle prior to his injury in 2021. His release gives him a head start in free agency since he was no longer in Atlanta’s long-term plans.
From 2019-2020, Gono appeared in 16 games for the Falcons, with four starts.
