After the Falcons struggled to win games the previous season, the Atlanta Falcons, and head coach Raheem Morris in particular, realized how important having a solid quarterback was. Morris chastised the quarterback play from the previous season at the combine, saying:
By acquiring Kirk Cousins, moving Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals, and cutting their backup’s pay, the Falcons addressed the position in free agency.
The Falcons and Taylor Heinicke agreed to a pay cut, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Heinicke’s base salary was reduced from $5 million to $1.21 million, and his cap number was lowered from $8.96 million to $4.53 million, which freed up about $4.43 million in cap space.
In addition, he was due a $1.32 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league’s new year; however, that amount is now considered a signing bonus.
Ultimately, the $40k active roster bonus he received per game was taken out of his contract.
According to Over The Cap, the Falcons would save $1.21 million if they cut him, but they would also have to pay a $3.32 million dead cap hit.
Heinicke and the Falcons reached an agreement on a $14 million, two-year contract that includes a $4 million signing bonus, a $6.32 million guarantee, and potential incentives worth up to $6 million.
Heinicke was Ridder’s backup at the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Due to his struggles towards the middle of the season, Ridder was benched in Week 8 in favor of Heinicke.
Heinicke consequently started in Weeks 9 and 10, although he was forced to leave due to a hamstring injury in Week 10.
Ridder started in Week 12 due to a hamstring injury and remained in the starting lineup until Week 15.
In Weeks 16 and 17, Heinicke was given another chance to start. He was the backup in Week 18 because of his poor performance in Week 17.
With a 1-3 record and five appearances during the season, he completed 74 of 136 pass attempts for 890 yards and five touchdowns against four interceptions.
