Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke is active for Week 18 against the Saints.
Heinicke picked up an ankle injury in Week 17 and was only able to get in limited practices this week. As a result, the Falcons decided to go with Desmond Ridder for the season finale. That means Heinicke’s season will end with just five appearances and four starts. He completed 74-of-136 passes (54.4 percent completion rate) for 890 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He also added 124 yards and one touchdown on the ground. The 30-year-old had the highest yards per completion and QBR of his career but also posted a career-low passing success rate and his second-lowest adjusted net passing yards per attempt. He will always have the strong stretch run with Washington in 2022 that made him a fan favorite, but he is nothing more than a league average back-up. He’s signed in Atlanta for one more season, so he could return to back-up which ever quarterback they turn to in 2024 since his dead cap hit is higher than Ridder’s.