Raheem Morris, the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, made it apparent that the squad needed greater quarterback play for the 2024 season. The Falcons traded away a quarterback whom Morris blamed for the failed regime of former head coach Arthur Smith.
The Atlanta Falcons rebuilt their quarterback room this offseason.
This offseason, the Falcons spent significant sums renovating their quarterback room. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract worth $180 million. A little over a month later, the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth choice in the draft.
Those decisions were made after Morris used his platform at the scouting combine to blame Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke for the Falcons’ terrible 2023 season.
“If we had better quarterback play, I’m probably not standing here at this podium,” Morris remarked in February.
Ridder was the Falcons’ primary starter last year. This offseason, the Falcons traded Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for wide receiver Rondale Moore. (Moore sustained a season-ending injury during the preseason.) Heinicke appeared in five games and started four, while Ridder struggled early in the regular season.
Heinicke remains with the Falcons during training camp but will not be on Morris’ regular-season roster.
The Falcons sent Taylor Heinicke to the Los Angeles Chargers.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Falcons dealt Heinicke to the Chargers in return for a conditional sixth-round draft pick.
Cousins and Penix are the only quarterbacks on the Falcons’ roster. The Falcons did not sign a quarterback to their practice squad on Wednesday.
Heinicke completed 20 of 44 passes for 206 yards during the preseason. He’ll join the Chargers, who are in search of a solid No. 2 quarterback to back up Justin Herbert. The Chargers’ 53-man roster includes quarterbacks Herbert, Heinicke, and Easton Stick.
Heinicke, 31, has participated in 38 games and started 29 during his NFL career. The undrafted free agent from Old Dominion is 13-15-1 as a starter. Heinicke has completed 604/966 passes for 6,635 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. He started for the Washington Commanders in their Wild Card loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
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