Taylor Heinicke is heading to Los Angeles. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Falcons are trading the quarterback to the Chargers. Atlanta will receive a conditional sixth-round pick in return. The conditions of that pick are based on playing time, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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We heard earlier this month that the Falcons were eyeing a Heinicke trade. While the veteran represented the team’s lone holdover at the position, his future was uncertain after the Falcons revamped their depth chart this offseason. First, the front office signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative contract, and they later surprised many when they selected Michael Penix Jr. in the first round. That left Heinicke without a clear role on the team.
While the Falcons generally opted for three active QBs in 2023 while taking advantage of the league’s emergency quarterback spot, it sounded like the team preferred to stash their QB3 on the practice squad for the 2024 campaign. Atlanta ultimately carried Heinicke on the 53-man roster through final roster cuts, but they’ll now move forward with only a pair of QBs on their active roster.
While Heinicke was pushed off the roster in Atlanta, it’s not necessarily a reflection of his standing in the league. The former UDFA had a successful two-year stint in Washington between 2021 and 2022, guiding his squad to a 12-11-1 record as a starter. That performance helped earn him a two-year, $14MM deal with his hometown Falcons last offseason, where he was expected to provide former third-round pick Desmond Ridder with some competition. Heinicke ultimately got four starts for Atlanta, going 1-3 while completing a career-low 54.4 percent of his passes. The veteran took a pay cut from $5MM to $1.21MM to stick in Atlanta for 2024, but now he’ll be earning that reduced salary in Los Angeles.
The Chargers were only carrying a pair of QBs following final cuts, with Easton Stick lined up to be the QB2 behind Justin Herbert. Stick, a former fifth-round pick, has spent his entire career with the Chargers, and he finally got an extended look while filling in for Herbert in 2023. While the Chargers went 0-4 in his four starts, Stick still managed to complete 63.8 percent of his passes for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Heinicke will provide the organization with a bit more starting experience behind Herbert, but it’s uncertain how the depth chart will ultimately shake out.