Taylor Heinicke To Serve As Desmond Ridder's Backup
2 years agoAtlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke said that his mindset is to be "the best backup I can be to Desmond Ridder." The Falcons were clear that Heinicke would be the backup when they signed him in free agency this week. "They drafted (Ridder) high for a reason," Heinicke said. The 30-year-old Heinicke signed for two years and $14 million with $6.32 million guaranteed, so he's one of the better-paid backup signal-callers in the league. Ridder was a third-round selection last year and made four starts in his rookie season, throwing for only 708 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions on 115 passing attempts. He'll enter Week 1 as their starter, but the 23-year-old may need to play well to hold off Heinicke.
Source: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
Source: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
Chargers Acquire Taylor Heinicke From Falcons
7 months agoThe Los Angeles Chargers are acquiring quarterback Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Not only is starting quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) recovering from plantar fasciitis in his foot, but backup Easton Stick regressed in training camp and the preseason. The 31-year-old Heinicke will be an upgrade at the QB position behind Herbert entering the regular season next week. In Atlanta, the Falcons were expected all along to try and trade Heinicke after taking rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the first round in April. Heinicke made his NFL debut back in 2017 with the Houston Texans and has appeared in 38 games (29 starts) since then with four different teams. His best year came in 2021 with Washington, when he threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 picks on 321 pass attempts over 16 games (15 starts).
Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
Taylor Heinicke Throws For 114 Yards Saturday
8 months agoAtlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke threw for 114 yards and rushed twice for zero yards in a 13-12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday. It was an uneventful preseason game for the 31-year-old veteran, with no touchdown passes on 8-for-16 passing. Heinicke seems locked in as the QB3 on Atlanta's roster, but with the Falcons holding out Michael Penix Jr. for the rest of the offseason, he should get plenty of snaps to see how he fares during the rest of the preseason. Heinicke will look to turn things around in the preseason finale on Friday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Taylor Heinicke Throws For 11 Yards Friday Night
8 months agoAtlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke was 4-for-11 in pass attempts Friday night in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The veteran quarterback was the second to enter the game after rookie sensation Michael Penix Jr., with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter. The veteran signal-caller was partly victimized by playing with second and third-string offensive linemen and skill players, making his poor passing line slightly more understandable. Nevertheless, Heinicke still has a clear lead in his battle with recent signee Nathan Rourke for the No. 3 quarterback job.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Taylor Heinicke Accepts Pay Cut
12 months agoAtlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke took a pay cut recently from an expected $5 million base salary in 2024 to $1.21 million, according to Roster Management System. His $1.32 million roster bonus, which was due just after the league year began last month, was instead classified as a signing bonus. His $40,000 per game active roster bonus was also removed from his contract. The reduction in his deal lowers Heinicke's salary cap number from $8.96 million to $4.53 million, including a cash value of $2.53 million. If Atlanta were to release him, he would cost $3.32 million in dead money with only a cap savings of $1.21 million. The 31-year-old got a chance to start in 2023 when Desmond Ridder was benched, but Heinicke did nothing to separate himself and also got hurt. He'll enter 2024 as the backup to starter Kirk Cousins.
Source: ESPN.com - Michael Rothstein
Source: ESPN.com - Michael Rothstein
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