Heinicke originally signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Falcons in March 2023. Shortly after signing, he was named the backup to Desmond Ridder for the season. Heinicke took over as the starting quarterback late in the season and started four games. In those five games, Heinicke completed 74 of 136 passes for 890 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions.
The journeyman’s status with the Falcons came into question during the 2024 offseason after the Falcons acquired Kirk Cousins in free agency and then selected Michael Pennis Jr. with the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With a clear QB1 and QB2 on Atlanta’s roster, Heinicke played in the majority of the preseason games. In those three games, he completed 45% of his passes.
Atlanta was Heinicke’s sixth NFL organization since joining the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015. The most notable period of his career came in 2020 with the Washington Commanders, where he played in the wild-card game against the Buccaneers, the only playoff game he played in. Heinicke replaced an injured Alex Smith at quarterback and threw for 306 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 31-23 loss.
Heinicke is a Lawrenceville, Georgia, native and graduate of Collins Hill High School. He was named to the Falcons’ original 53-man roster announced Tuesday night. As a result of the trade after June 1, the Falcons will incur a dead money cap hit of $3.32 million while saving $1.21 million against the cap, according to OverTheCap.com.
