This offseason has had no shortage of stories coming out of the Atlanta Falcons organization, and most of them have had to do with the quarterback position.
Atlanta, of course, signed veteran free agent Kirk Cousins to a rich, 4-year, $180 million deal. And, just when Falcons fans felt confident about the next four seasons, Atlanta went out and selected Michael Penix Jr. with the no. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
With the offseason now in full swing and roster moves mostly done and over with, the Falcons now head toward training camp amidst their offseason activities, too. Roster battles will be one of the more interesting storylines to watch throughout the summer months, but will there even be a "battle" at quarterback?
How about for the backup position? Is there even a battle, there?
Cutting Taylor Heinicke makes sense for the Falcons
Recently, Bleacher Report's David Kenyon wrote about one notable cut all 32 NFL teams could make, choosing a blatantly-obvious candidate for the Falcons: Taylor Heinicke.
Kenyon had this to say:
"Since he already agreed to a restructured contract, Taylor Heinicke has a logical path to another year in Atlanta. He may legitimately be content as a handsomely paid reserve, too. Still, the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins and semi-controversially drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round. Heinicke is neither a stopgap starter nor the perceived backup."
It seems pretty obvious. Atlanta used a top-10 pick on Penix and spent a boatload on signing Cousins. For Heinicke to even earn the no. 2 job might take a miracle or an injury to either Penix or Cousins (God forbid).
Should the Falcons cut Heinicke, they would absorb $3.32 million in dead money. But, that's nothing compared to what's invested in Cousins and, to be frank, Penix, too.
In Heinicke's first season with the Falcons last year, he started four games, going 1-3 in those starts while throwing for 890 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. Prior to joining the Falcons, Heinicke did make 24 starts in his previous two seasons with Washington. So, he came to Atlanta with plenty of experience and gave the organization a bit of hope under center.
But now? Things have changed drastically.