After the Falcons struggled to win games the previous season, the Atlanta Falcons, and head coach Raheem Morris in particular, saw how important having a solid quarterback was. Morris chastised the quarterback play from the previous season at the combine, saying:
“I might not be standing here,” Morris said to reporters if Atlanta’s quarterback play had been stronger the previous season.
By acquiring Kirk Cousins, moving Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals, and cutting their backup’s pay, the Falcons addressed the position in free agency.
The backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons saw a pay decrease.
The Falcons and Taylor Heinicke agreed to a pay cut, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Heinicke’s base salary was reduced from $5 million to $1.21 million, and his cap number was lowered from $8.96 million to $4.53 million, which freed up about $4.43 million in cap space.
In addition, he was due a $1.32 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league’s new year; however, that amount is now considered a signing bonus.
Ultimately, the $40k active roster bonus he received per game was taken out of his contract.
According to Over The Cap, the Falcons would save $1.21 million if they cut him, but they would also have to pay a $3.32 million dead cap hit.
During the 2023 offseason, Taylor Heinicke inked a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Heinicke and the Falcons reached an agreement on a $14 million, two-year contract that includes a $4 million signing bonus, a $6.32 million guarantee, and potential incentives worth up to $6 million.
Heinicke was Ridder’s backup at the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Due to his struggles in the middle of the season, Ridder was benched in Week 8 in favour of Heinicke. Heinicke consequently started in Weeks 9 and 10, although he was forced to leave due to a hamstring injury in Week 10.
Ridder started in Week 12 due to a hamstring injury and remained in the starting lineup until Week 15.
In Weeks 16 and 17, Heinicke was given another chance to start. He was the backup in Week 18 because of his poor performance in Week 17.
With a 1-3 record and five appearances during the season, he completed 74 of 136 pass attempts for 890 yards and five touchdowns against four interceptions.
Taylor Heinicke is adored by Raheem Morris.
Morris considers Heinicke to be an excellent backup.
Regarding Heinicke, incoming head coach Raheem Morris said, “I don’t want to limit him to what he can be, but he’s shown that he’s been an elite backup in this league.” When you discuss an outstanding backup, you mean a player who can win you a game until your starter returns and does it without missing a beat, correct? not need the repetitions necessary to play and perform in the game. He has demonstrated all of those things, and curiosity is constant.
