Heinicke 'Would Love' to Stay with Falcons, Future in Question as Roster Cuts Near

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke is on the roster bubble entering Tuesday's cuts.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke is on the roster bubble entering Tuesday's cuts. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

On New Year's Day 2024, Taylor Heinicke was met with uncertainty. The veteran signal caller departed the Atlanta Falcons' loss to the Chicago Bears the day before with an ankle injury, putting his status in doubt for the regular season finale.

Heinicke ultimately didn't play, watching as Atlanta suffered a 48-17 thumping to the New Orleans Saints.

Now, as teams around the NFL trim their rosters from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Heinicke again faces uncertainty.

Atlanta has a clear starting and backup quarterback, with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. occupying those roles, but no established role for Heinicke, who said last month he "see(s) the writing on the wall."

Does that writing include being cut or traded before Tuesday's deadline? Heinicke doesn't know -- but he feels he maximized his opportunities this summer.

"It's one of those stressful times," Heinicke said after last Friday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason finale. "It's really the worst time of the NFL for all these guys, just not knowing where you're going to be. For me personally, I did everything I could throughout OTAs and training camp.

"When I got the reps, I tried to go in there and make the most of it. When I wasn't in, I was trying to help Kirk and Mike in any way I could."

Heinicke played in five games with four starts for the Falcons last season, completing 54.4 percent of his passes for 890 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. The team went 1-3 in his starts.

The 31-year-old Heinicke saw limited snaps in training camp, watching as Cousins and Penix took reps with the first- and second-teams, respectively. When Heinicke had chances in open practices July 27 at Seckinger High School and Aug. 2 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, he was far from sharp.

Atlanta gave Heinicke extended action this preseason, and he turned in mixed results, going 20-of-44 for 206 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Some called it a job interview for other teams. Others may view it as a bid for the one he's currently on. But Heinicke, who hails from Suwanee, Ga., knows this much: He's happy with his home-state team, in large part due to the work done by head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.

"I would love to be a part of the Falcons," Heinicke said. "I think this is probably the best roster I've been a part of when you kind of look at it from top to bottom. I think Raheem's built something special here, and I would love to be a part of that. That being said, who knows what's going to happen.

"But again, I would love to be at the Atlanta Falcons. If not, I just love the game of football. I just want to keep playing football. So, yeah, that's the dream."

After the NFC Championship game two seasons ago in which the San Francisco 49ers resorted to using running back Christian McCaffrey at quarterback due to injuries to their only two active signal callers, the NFL introduced a new rule in 2023.

With the rule, teams are allowed to label a third quarterback as inactive, but if the first two leave with injuries, the third is allowed to play. For this insurance policy, carrying a third quarterback makes plenty of sense.

Heinicke, citing San Francisco's misfortune, said he thinks the rule is good for the NFL, and the more quarterbacks on rosters, the better.

But Heinicke has no qualms with how the Falcons have constructed their roster. He likes the additions of Pro Bowl pass rusher Matt Judon and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. This camp, Heinicke said, was different than any other he's been a part of, due to the way Morris approached the operation.

In Heinicke's eyes, the approach worked -- and players were bought in throughout the dog days of summer. And Heinicke, recognizing the talent and culture the Falcons have, has definite interest in staying put.

"There was a lot of times we were in full pads two or three times in a row and the guys were sore, and they just came out and kept working," Heinicke said. "I'm sure every guy in that locker room would tell you it was a little rough, but we got better every day. You can see it.

"So, again, you see a lot of special things during practice, during camp. And those are the things that make me want to stay here."

The question now becomes whether Heinicke gets his wish -- or if the Falcons choose to roster just two quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster. The answer will be in no later than 4 p.m. Tuesday.