The Atlanta Falcons made it through their first preseason game without any major injuries, but that was about the only positive to take from the team's 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. There was one notable injury, though. Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews exited the game early in the first quarter and did not return. While the starters weren't expected to play very long, Matthews seemed to suffer an injury on Atlanta's opening drive. Right tackle Michael Jerrell replaced Matthews at left tackle, with rookie Ethan Onianwa stepping in at right tackle following the injury. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about the injury after the game and said that Matthews was "dealing with something," but that he's okay.
Stefanski said Jake Matthews is "dealing with something, but he's OK." #Falcons — Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 15, 2026 The Falcons are already dealing with an injury to right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who just returned to practice last week after missing all of OTAs and the start of camp. Atlanta's offensive line didn't play overly well, and the team struggled to open up holes in the running game. Assuming Matthews is okay, though, we wouldn't worry too much about the team's offensive line, With Matthew Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil and Chris Lindstrom, this unit is still in good shape. The Falcons trailed 24-0 at halftime of Friday's opener and cut the deficit to 20 points before the game ended. It was not a great start for Atlanta, but that's to be expected in the first preseason game under a new head coach, general manager and president of football.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski gives update on Jake Matthews injury