Falcons Sign QB Taylor Heinicke; Contract Details & Desmond Ridder to Start?
Following an active first day of the legal tampering period ahead of the start of NFL free agency, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot could've taken a small step back.
But he didn't ... and seemingly tipped Atlanta's starting quarterback for next season.
The Falcons agreed to terms with former Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who spent time as both a starter and backup over the past three seasons.
Heinicke, who went undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2015, has also made brief regular season appearances with the Houston Texans (2017) and Carolina Panthers (2018), but first rose to stardom with the Commanders in a breakout effort against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2020 playoffs.
With 33 appearances and 25 starts under his belt, Heinicke has his fair share of experience and is regarded as a stout locker room piece - in addition to being a capable player.
Heinicke, a native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has completed 63.9 percent of his passes while throwing for 5,745 yards, 34 touchdowns and 24 interceptions and running for 464 yards and two scores on 97 attempts, primarily scrambles.
In Atlanta, Heinicke will join a quarterbacks room that includes last year's third-round pick Desmond Ridder and perceived backup Logan Woodside.
So, is Heinicke going to be a starter or backup? The terms of his deal may reveal the answer.
Per A to Z Sports, Heinicke's contract is a two-year, $14 million deal with a $4 million signing bonus and comes with $6.32 million totally guaranteed. Further, there's a $1 million roster bonus in 2023 and a $1.32 million signing bonus in 2024. The contract can be worth up to $20 million total with incentives.
The nature of the contract, such as total money and incentives, implies a backup role for Heinicke - and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport confirmed this ... while adding that Atlanta intends to start Ridder at quarterback.
"(The Falcons) get one of the best backups in the NFL - that is what this is slated to be, a backup job, with Desmond Ridder getting every opportunity to win the starting job for the Atlanta Falcons," Rapoport said on NFL Network.
"That is their quarterback moving forward, he just needs to go out and do it."
Given a four-game tryout to close the season, Ridder impressed Fontenot and Falcons coach Arthur Smith, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The two-time American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year illustrated command, improved from week-to-week and made some big throws late, headlined by leading a game-winning drive against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17.
Prior to free agency, the Falcons had expressed optimism in Ridder but hadn't committed - but the deal they gave Heinicke likely signals the end of any other pursuits and means the quarterbacks room is set.
And with that, it certainly appears that Ridder will have the inside track at being the Falcons' starting signal caller Week 1.
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