Falcons HC Arthur Smith announced they’ve named QB Taylor Heinicke their starter for Week 9 against the Vikings.
Smith said starting Heinicke was a “short-term” decision for Sunday’s game and Desmond Ridder will be their primary backup: “He is cleared and will be available,” per Tori McElhaney.
Heinicke, 30, wound up signing on with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion back in 2015. He managed to make the 53-man roster during his rookie season but wasn’t active for a single game.
The Vikings elected to waive Heinicke with an injury designation coming out of the preseason in 2017 before eventually cutting him loose with an injury settlement.
Heinicke had brief stints with the Patriots and Texans before being claimed by the Panthers. Carolina released him coming out of the preseason in 2019 and he signed on to Washington’s practice squad late in 2020. He signed a two-year, $8.75 million extension with Washington in 2021 before signing a two-year deal with the Falcons back in March.
In 2023, Heinicke has appeared in one game and completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 175 yards and one touchdown.
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