A lot of Falcons have been begging for the club to move on from 2021 third-round pick Jalen Mayfield, and they got their wish this offseason.
Thrust into the starting lineup due to injuries, Mayfield struggled mightily as a rookie; in fact, it was some of the worst play I have ever seen.
However, that’s not to say he couldn’t develop into a solid player. Development is never linear in this league, especially among offensive linemen. A full offseason was supposed to benefit Mayfield, but a back injury kept him out all of last season.
Coming into the Summer, his standing in Atlanta was unclear. He certainly wasn’t expected to be a starter with the Falcons’ second-round pick Matthew Bergeron in the building. Still, could he carve out a backup role?
The preseason came and Mayfield didn’t look any better, particularly in pass protection. Many fans expected him to be on the fringe of the roster, and when the Falcons announced he was being waived before any other roster cuts were announced, a wave of gratitude washed over the fan base.
However, I guarantee many of those fans expected him back on the practice squad. When that was announced, there were a couple of notable omissions — Jalen Mayfield being one.
Now, he was available to join another club, and we just learned the Giants are signing the former Michigan tackle to the practice squad.
Practice squad is now full at 16. Schoen announced the signings of RB Taiwan Jones, WR Dennis Houston, TE Tyree Jackson and OG Jalen Mayfield.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) August 31, 2023
It’s not crazy to say Jalen Mayfield has played his final snap in the NFL.
His career was tumultuous and fans in Atlanta were relentless. It’s a terrible look for the Falcons’ new regime that spent a premium selection on a guy who could be out of the league before his rookie contract would’ve ended in Atlanta.
Still, a silver lining in all of this is the new regime recognized their mistake and cut their losses. With the former regime, Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn thought they could salvage every draft pick and free agent regardless of the signs.
We wish Jalen Mayfield the best of luck in New York.
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Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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