One of the Atlanta Falcons' key pieces to their 2016-17 Super Bowl run is retiring from the NFL at the age of 34-years-old. Veteran guard Chris Chester is hanging up his cleats after 11 seasons, the last two being with the Falcons where he was a consistent start for the club.
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According to ESPN, Chester doesn't plan to expound on his decision as of yet, but that he will at a later date.
The Falcons front office seems as though they've been preparing for this reality for sometime, and that it wouldn't be surprising if the Falcons took a guard early in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Via ESPN:
"The Falcons now need to fill the void at right guard. Coach Dan Quinn expressed confidence in returning players Ben Garland and Wes Schweitzer, although neither has started a game in the NFL. Garland, who has played in 24 career games, is listed as a backup center but showed versatility by playing defensive tackle last season. Schweitzer, a sixth-round draft pick last season, was inactive for every game during his rookie year."
Chester, along with the other four starters on the offensive line for the Falcons, were the only unit in the NFL last season to start every single game together — including the entirety of their deep postseason run.
