Falcon Report

Taylor Heinicke vs. Desmond Ridder: Who Starts at QB for Falcons?

The Atlanta Falcons are starting a quarterback battle this offseason. Will Taylor Heinicke or Desmond Ridder come away with the job?

Jeremy Brener

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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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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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