Atlanta Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke Draws Inspiration From NFL Legend in New Starting Role

Taylor Heinicke has been inspired by former NFL quarterback Brett Favre as he enters his new role with the Atlanta Falcons.

Taylor Heinicke is the new face of the Atlanta Falcons offense, and the quarterback is bringing a veteran mindset to his new role with this team.

Heinicke has made previous stops as a starting quarterback in the NFL, including with the Washington Commanders, but it is previous adversity that is providing him motivation with Atlanta this season. There was a point where he thought football was behind him, but now, Heinicke plans to make the most of this newfound opportunity.

“I always point back to where I was two-and-a-half to three years ago," Heinicke said. "I was out of football, I thought I was done playing, and I always told myself, ‘If I get another shot, I’m just going to have a lot of fun with it and just leave it on the field.’"

Atlanta Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke / © Steve Roberts, USA TODAY

There is a former NFL quarterback who proved to be somewhat of an inspiration during his career, namely Brett Favre. Seeing Favre thrive in his career helped motivate Heinicke to bring a certain amount of passion to his own game.

"I grew up watching Brett Favre," Heinicke said. "He was very passionate. He had a lot of fun. You could tell he left everything on the field every single game. He’s the reason I fell in love with the game of football. So, when I got that second shot up there in Washington, I kind of just played like that, and it’s worked out for me. That’s my mindset going into every game: play like it’s your last game because you never know. Have fun out there, and just be happy at the end of the game that you left it all out there.”

Heinicke had some success in relief of Desmond Ridder last week against the Tennessee Titans, but he will look to continue that momentum on Sunday when the Falcons play host to the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.