NFL PLAYER NEWS

Falcons OL McGary (heart) begins path to return

Field Level Media

August 18, 2019 at 6:43 pm.

Jul 22, 2019; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Kaleb McGary (76) blocks against defensive end Vic Beasley (44) during the first day of training camp at Falcons Training Complex. Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Jul 22, 2019; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Kaleb McGary (76) blocks against defensive end Vic Beasley (44) during the first day of training camp at Falcons Training Complex. Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons rookie offensive lineman Kaleb McGary will resume on-field work this week in practice but has not been cleared for contact, coach Dan Quinn said Sunday.

McGary, the No. 31 overall pick in the draft, underwent cardiac ablation on July 31, a procedure designed to correct heart rhythm issues.

The team said McGary previously had two similar procedures, which are considered minimally invasive.

Quinn told reporters that McGary participated in Sunday’s walkthrough and will “get a good bit of the field work” with the training and medical staffs.

“And then once that’s good, we’ll be out a couple of weeks, make sure the conditioning is right,” Quinn said on the Falcons’ official website. “And then back into individual (drills), and then you get back into team (drills).

“So we really stay strict to the policy we put into place for the guys to return to it. We just don’t back off of it, especially if you’ve been out for, in his case, two weeks.”

The 6-foot-6, 306-pound McGary played his college ball at Washington and twice was an All-Pac-12 first-team selection. He also won the 2018 Morris Trophy as the conference’s top offensive lineman.

Teams were aware of his condition before the draft, and NFL medical personnel cleared him to participate in the scouting combine.

Early in camp, the 24-year-old primarily was mostly working at right tackle on the Falcons’ second team.