Falcons’ Takkarist McKinley with family following mental evaluation

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takk McKinley is with a family member in Oakland after undergoing a mental evaluation prompted by a friend’s call to Los Angeles police.

Falcons spokesman Brian Cearns told The Associated Press on Wednesday McKinley “is in a good spot” and has been in “constant communication” with the team, including coach Dan Quinn. Cearns said McKinley is with an uncle in Oakland.

TMZ Sports reported Tuesday night that a friend became concerned for McKinley’s well-being and summoned police. No criminal charges were filed. TMZ Sports says McKinley was cooperative when detained by officers.

It is not known what prompted McKinley’s friend to call police. Cearns said the situation has been resolved. The Falcons acknowledged the incident on Tuesday night when the team released Quinn’s statement expressing concern.

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“Any time a situation occurs that is or could be related to mental health issues we take it very seriously,” Quinn said in the statement. “We will do everything we possibly can to support and assist Takk as our players’ mental and physical well-being are always our top priority.”

McKinley, who played collegiately at UCLA, was a first-round pick by the Falcons in 2017. He made headlines on draft night with an emotional tribute to the late grandmother who raised him.

As a rookie, McKinley had just one less sack than fellow first year defensive end Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns’ No. 1 overall selection, despite Garrett playing 500 snaps as a starter compared to McKinley’s 381 as a backup and depth feature.

The 23-year-old McKinley led the Falcons with seven sacks in 2018. He recently wrote on his Twitter account he wasn’t satisfied with his season and promised “Double digit sacks are coming next year!” McKinley has two years, plus a club option, remaining on his four-year, $10.2 million rookie contract he signed in 2017.

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