Falcons veteran QB among those who could be still be traded

There was a shortage of quality quarterbacks in Atlanta when the offseason started, but now the Falcons have a surplus.

Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris acknowledged the need to completely overhaul the position, and they did. First, the Falcons handed Kirk Cousins a $180 million free agent deal, but they weren’t done.

They shocked the world when they drafted Michael Penix Jr., completing the transformation of the quarterback room. The Falcons went from Desmond Ridder to Cousins and Penix, but there’s remained one constant — Taylor Heinicke.

Heinicke took a pay cut this offseason. Still, he’s somewhat expendable at this point, which is why he’s on the shortlist of quarterbacks that could still be traded this offseason, per Cody Benjamin of CBS.

The former Washington Commanders starter already took a pay cut to stick around as Kirk Cousins‘ backup. And that was before the Falcons spent this year’s No. 8 overall draft pick on Michael Penix Jr. Only due $4.5 million in 2024, Heinicke could easily prefer to start fresh if Penix gets the No. 2 job, and his 29 career starts could be appealing to a team desperate for immediate help.

There’s a new quarterback rule in which clubs are permitted to dress a 49th player as the “Emergency Third Quarterback” on game days.

So, there’s certainly a scenario where the Falcons keep all three and use Penix or Heinicke as the third quarterback, but what seems more appropriate is moving on from Heinicke one way or the other.

Heinicke is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league and will be coveted by many, especially considering his team-friendly contract.

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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire