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Falcons lineman flies back to Atlanta for child’s birth, returns for kickoff

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It was family, then football for Atlanta Falcons starting left tackle Jake Matthews on a hectic Thursday leading into his game against the Carolina Panthers.

Matthews was in Carolina preparing for the matchup when his wife, Meggi, went into labor with their first child, according to NFL.com. Matthews flew back to Atlanta to be by his wife’s side as she delivered a healthy boy, named Beckett, this afternoon.

But Matthews still had football on his mind. The lineman went right back to Carolina, thanks to Falcons owner Arthur Blank, with plenty of time to warm up and be ready for the game.

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Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons prepares for a snap against the Seattle Seahawks, Sept. 25, 2022, in Seattle.
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Video showed Matthews jogging into the locker room in his flip-flops to put on his cleats and pads.

Matthews had reportedly expected his wife to go into labor on Sunday, which normally would be a problem for a football player. Instead, Beckett decided that today would be the day that he meets his parents, despite the Thursday night primetime slot for his dad’s team.

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Being a starter at one of the most important positions on the field, Matthews knew he had to return to his team. The 6-foot-5, 309-pound tackle was the sixth overall draft pick by the Falcons in the 2014 NFL Draft, and he’s been as consistent as they come, playing and starting in every game for seven straight seasons.

Jake Matthews of the Atlanta Falcons lines up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Oct. 9, 2022, in Tampa, Florida.
(Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

He needed to be there for his wife, but he didn’t want to break the streak either.

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Matthews is also a key component in the Falcons’ run game, something they do more than many teams in the league successfully.

Atlanta came into this contest fourth in the NFL in yards per game on the ground with 162.9 on the third-most rushing attempts (33.7).