Falcons DE McKinley back home after mental evaluation


Reuters | Updated: 17-01-2019 00:41 IST | Created: 17-01-2019 00:41 IST
Falcons DE McKinley back home after mental evaluation

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takkarist McKinley was back home in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday after being taken for a mental evaluation Tuesday by Los Angeles police.

"There is no reason to believe that this was anything serious," team spokesman Brian Cearns told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He's back home in Oakland with his family."

Police were called to a Los Angeles hotel by a friend who was concerned about McKinley's well-being. The 23-year-old player was not arrested, as police encouraged him to seek help and he complied.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn addressed the situation Tuesday.

"Any time a situation occurs that is or could be related to mental health issues we take it very seriously," Quinn said in a 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 was the No. 26 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2017 NFL Draft. The UCLA product agreed to a four-year, $10.2 million contract with the Falcons that included a $5.6 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac.

In 31 games over two seasons, he has recorded 42 tackles, 13 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

--Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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