If you were hoping to see Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, Grady Jarrett, and other prominent Falcons players during Friday’s preseason opener, then you’re going to be disappointed. When Atlanta takes the field at 7:00 p.m. ET against the visiting Tennessee Titans, most of the starters won’t be suiting up.
A bit of a roll call here for you: Matt Ryan, AJ Terrell, Hayden Hurst, Calvin Ridley, Jake Matthews, Erik Harris, Duron Harmon, Russell Gage, Grady Jarrett and Foye Oluokun, among other prominent Falcons, not dressing out for Friday night's preseason game against Tennessee.
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) August 13, 2021
The absence of these big names will allow for rookies and players on the bubble to get more of a chance to prove they’re worth a spot on this team.
For a guy like Richie Grant, who has been having normal rookie highs and lows, the absence of Duron Harmon and Erik Harris allows for more experience adjusting to life in the NFL.
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