Falcons Urged to Trade Former Starting Quarterback

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport named quarterback Taylor Heinicke the one player the Atlanta Falcons should consider trading before the 2024 NFL season.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke could be a trade candidate this summer. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons caused a significant stir in the NFL draft with the selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the first round. But in all likelihood, it won’t impact the 2024 Falcons.

That is, unless you are Taylor Heinicke.

With Penix and Kirk Cousins added to the roster, Heinicke has slid down the depth chart this offseason. On June 3, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport argued that the Falcons should search for a trade partner to exchange Heinicke for a late-round draft pick.

“If Heinicke sticks on the Falcons roster, it would likely be as the emergency quarterback. If Cousins’s Achilles injury is healing well and Penix is half the player scouts believed him to be, the odds he sees the field in 2024 are slim to none,” wrote Davenport.

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“However, Heinicke is also a seventh-year veteran who has made 29 NFL starts who is only two games under .500 despite playing for less than stellar teams. There are teams out there where Heinicke would be an upgrade at QB2 right now.”

A Day 3 selection might not seem like much, but Davenport noted that it would be better for the Falcons to get something for Heinicke rather than simply release him.

Heinicke turned 31 in March. He’s 13-15-1 as an NFL starter and has thrown 39 touchdowns versus 28 interceptions in 38 appearances.

He’s not going to be a full-time starter on a competitive team, but he has value as a backup. His trade value could increase too if a projected contender sees one of their top quarterbacks suffer an injury over the summer.

The Falcons could keep Heinicke on the roster in case they sustain their own injury behind center. That’s not the worst idea, at least for the time being, since Cousins is still recovering from an Achilles tear.

But if Cousins and Penix are healthy toward the end of the preseason, it probably makes the most sense for the Falcons to make Heinicke available on the trade market.

Heinicke will enter the final season of his 2-year contract in Atlanta this fall. He is set to have a $4.5 million cap hit after agreeing to a pay cut for more guaranteed money in 2024.

Heinicke appeared in five games for the Falcons last year. He completed 54.4% of his passes while averaging 6.5 yards per attempt with 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. In four starts, Heinicke led the team to a 1-3 record.

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