Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews remained out of practice on Thursday after injuring his ankle in last week’s victory over the Saints and the team will try to make a determination about his availability for Week Two during Friday’s practice.
Falcons coach Mike Smith said that the rookie will test his ankle on the field on Friday in hopes of showing he’s well enough to play against the Bengals.
“We are going to have clarity on that by the end of the day,” Smith said on 92.9 The Game, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Jake has been working with our guys in the training room. He’s going to come out and do a little work on the field.”
Smith also said that it is a “long season,” which may be a sign that watching wide receiver Roddy White struggle for weeks last season after returning too quickly from an ankle injury has left the team more cautious about rushing players back into the lineup. That might be especially true when it comes a first-round pick heading into his second NFL game since aggravating the injury could hinder his development over the course of the year.
Gabe Carimi would start if Matthews doesn’t get the green light and you’d imagine the Falcons will give him some help against the Bengals pass rush in hopes of keeping Matt Ryan upright for most of the game.