Taylor Heinicke settles in as Atlanta’s backup QB, says being close to home is ‘really special’
Taylor Heinicke is no longer competing for a starting quarterback position, so he’s settling in as a backup with the Atlanta Falcons — and enjoying the comforts of home.
“It has completely come full circle,” Heinicke told the Gwinnett (Georgia) Daily Post recently. “I really never imagined that I would play for the Falcons. The fact that I get to come home and live at my own house is special. … I have so much family living around here, along with high school friends. It’s a neat opportunity.”
A legendary quarterback at Old Dominion, Heinicke is preparing for his first season with Atlanta after spending an up-and-down two-plus seasons with Washington. He started 24 games with Washington the past two seasons.
The 30-year-old was close to re-signing with Washington, but a more lucrative offer — and the chance to play near his hometown — came from the Falcons.
Heinicke grew up near Atlanta and played at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, before signing with ODU. Suwanee is about a 20-minute drive from the Falcons’ facility in Flowery Branch.
His contract with Atlanta is a two-year deal worth $14 million, according to spotrac.com, a site that tracks pro salaries. In Washington, his base salary was $1.5 million, but he made more than $5.7 million after roster and game bonuses over the past two seasons.
“I’m very happy to be here,” Heinicke told reporters after a recent practice. “(I) bought a house here in 2020, my family’s all around here, so it’s a blessing for sure.
“It’s really special. I’m from here, I got my whole family around here. I’ve got a nephew who just turned 2, so he’s going to be able to come to practice, come to games. It’s a really special time.”
Heinicke was consistently in the mix for a starting spot with Washington after the team resuscitated his career during the 2020 playoffs, plucking him from finishing his ODU degree online and thrusting him into the starting lineup after a rash of injuries and poor QB play.
He was the backup in 2021 to Ryan Fitzpatrick before Fitzpatrick was injured in the season opener. Heinicke took over as Washington’s starter last season when Carson Wentz went down with an injury.
But after the team was eliminated from playoff contention, rookie Sam Howell started the season finale against Dallas, and head coach Ron Rivera tabbed Howell as the starter for this season.
In Atlanta, Heinicke knew upon signing he would be the backup to Desmond Ridder, a third-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022 who started Atlanta’s final four games last season. Both Ridder and Heinicke sat out Atlanta’s preseason opener last week against Miami.
“I’ve been in this position my whole career,” Heinicke said. “I feel I like this position, I like helping the young kid out. Hopefully, I can do something with him.”
Heinicke completed 382 of 493 passes (77.5%) with 32 touchdowns and 21 interceptions over the past two seasons with Washington. Before that, he had short regular-season stints with Houston and Carolina, appearing in seven games.
“I’ve gotten some snaps in over the years, went through a lot of stuff over the years. I think helping a young guy like (Ridder), whatever I can bring the table for him, to help him in any way I can, I think there’s a lot of value there. God forbid he gets hurt, and I’m ready to go.”
