Taylor Heinicke's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Los Angeles Chargers are acquiring quarterback Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Not only is starting quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) recovering from plantar fasciitis in his foot, but backup Easton Stick regressed in training camp and the preseason. The 31-year-old Heinicke will be an upgrade at the QB position behind Herbert entering the regular season next week. In Atlanta, the Falcons were expected all along to try and trade Heinicke after taking rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the first round in April. Heinicke made his NFL debut back in 2017 with the Houston Texans and has appeared in 38 games (29 starts) since then with four different teams. His best year came in 2021 with Washington, when he threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 picks on 321 pass attempts over 16 games (15 starts).

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke threw for 114 yards and rushed twice for zero yards in a 13-12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday. It was an uneventful preseason game for the 31-year-old veteran, with no touchdown passes on 8-for-16 passing. Heinicke seems locked in as the QB3 on Atlanta's roster, but with the Falcons holding out Michael Penix Jr. for the rest of the offseason, he should get plenty of snaps to see how he fares during the rest of the preseason. Heinicke will look to turn things around in the preseason finale on Friday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke was 4-for-11 in pass attempts Friday night in a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The veteran quarterback was the second to enter the game after rookie sensation Michael Penix Jr., with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter. The veteran signal-caller was partly victimized by playing with second and third-string offensive linemen and skill players, making his poor passing line slightly more understandable. Nevertheless, Heinicke still has a clear lead in his battle with recent signee Nathan Rourke for the No. 3 quarterback job.