Takk McKinley Tweets Falcons Rejected 'Handful of Offers' amid Trade Rumors

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Takkarist McKinley will stay put as the NFL trade deadline nears.

A first-round pick by the Falcons in 2017, McKinley put trade rumors to bed in a tweet on Monday night, writing that the team "declined a handful of offers" leading up to Tuesday's deadline: 

McKinley was expected to have extra motivation heading into this season, his fourth in the league, as the team declined his fifth-year option back in April. 

After appearing in all 16 games as a rookie, where he recovered a fumble while tacking on six sacks, 20 combined tackles and 10 quarterback hits, the UCLA product followed up with a strong sophomore campaign in 2018 that saw him produce seven sacks through 15 games.

But his production dipped last year, with just 3.5 sacks in 14 outings as he tallied 13 quarterback hits while battling a shoulder injury, and his 2020 season has been quieter. Through four games with the Falcons, McKinley has added just one sack, eight tackles and seven quarterback hits as he continues to struggle with a groin injury.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported last week that the 2-6 Falcons were shopping McKinley and the expectation was that he would be on the move before Tuesday, though there was no impending deal at the time.