Taylor Heinicke vs. Desmond Ridder: Who Starts at QB for Falcons?
The Atlanta Falcons are building their roster, signing quarterback Taylor Heinicke from the Washington Commanders earlier this week.
The move gives second-year pro Desmond Ridder some competition for the starting quarterback job this fall. Heinicke started last season on the bench, but was called upon when Carson Wentz injured his finger and led the Commanders to five wins in his first six starts, ultimately winning the starting job.
However, Heinicke lost that job when he struggled in December, and the Commanders subsequently missed the postseason despite their very realistic and capable path.
So, is Heinicke coming in as the starter or the backup?
"As far as I know, he's the starter, and I'm going to help him any way I can," Heinicke told FOX 5 Atlanta.
That's very typical lingo for a backup quarterback to say, especially for someone walking into a new situation with the incumbent Ridder. But Heinicke got paid good money ... $14 million over two years is on the higher end of backups around the league.
That being said, signing Heinicke instead of someone like Jimmy Garoppolo or trading for Lamar Jackson shows a sign of good faith in Ridder. Atlanta is giving him a great opportunity to compete and win the starting job, and rightfully so.
Ridder played in just four games this past season, showing signs of promise, but not enough to make him the surefire starter for next season.
The Falcons want Ridder to work, or at least give him the chance to prove he can be the starting quarterback of the future ... but Heinicke's presence indicates that the keys can't be handed to the former Cincinnati Bearcat quite yet.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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