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Chargers Place LB Junior Colson On IR; Taylor Heinicke Among Team’s Cuts

August 26th, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers placed a key defender on season-ending IR and made a quarterback decision. Here are the Bolts’ moves to reach the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (return designation):

It is not known what injury Colson suffered — teams do not have to disclose injuries until Week 1 — but this is a significant setback for the former Jim Harbaugh Michigan pupil. Colson entered training camp with a chance to earn the starting linebacker job alongside Daiyan Henley; instead, he will miss the season. Harris and Leonard will be eligible to return from IR after four games; their IR-return placements drop the Bolts’ injury activation count from eight to six.

It is possible the Chargers circle back to Heinicke, who is a vested veteran. A practice squad stashing could make sense, but Trey Lance is also a vested veteran now. The Bolts are keeping the former No. 3 overall pick on their 53-man roster, while Heinicke’s status is uncertain. The Chargers re-signed Heinicke to a one-year, $2.5MM deal. They are positioned to eat $2MM in dead money due to the guarantees given to their 2024 backup.

Chargers Re-Sign QB Taylor Heinicke

March 13th, 2025 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Taylor Heinicke is sticking in Los Angeles for at least one more season. The quarterback has signed a one-year deal with the Chargers, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. The deal is worth up to $6.2MM.

Heinicke made a name for himself in 2021, when he guided the Commanders to a 7-8 record in his 15 starts. Despite his solid showing, he entered the 2022 campaign as a backup to Carson Wentz. Predictably, the new starter eventually went down with an injury, allowing Heinicke to start another nine games for Washington.

After finishing his Commanders stint with 33 touchdowns vs. 21 interceptions, he inked a two-year contract with his hometown Falcons ahead of the 2023 season. The free agent addition was expected to provide former third-round pick Desmond Ridder with some competition, but Heinicke got only 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 in the meantime, he was pushed further down the depth chart following the additions of Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.. As a result, Heinicke found himself on the trade block, and he was dealt to the Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick before the start of the 2024 regular season.

Justin Herbert was limited to 13 games in 2023, but the Chargers franchise QB managed to get into all 17 games for his squad in 2024. As a result, the new backup was limited to only four appearances and five pass attempts. The organization is surely hoping for similar usage in 2025, but they can rest easy knowing they have a former starter locked in as their QB2.

Falcons Trade QB Taylor Heinicke To Chargers

August 28th, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Ben Levine

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.

[RELATED: Falcons Hoping To Trade QB Taylor Heinicke?]

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.

Falcons Hoping To Trade QB Taylor Heinicke?

August 10th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons invested heavily in the quarterback position this offseason. As a result, the team may be shopping their lone holdover at the position. As Josh Kendall of The Athletic writes, the Falcons staff is “behaving like it would prefer to get some trade value for Taylor Heinicke” vs. keeping him around as a QB3.

Heinicke had a successful run 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 Falcons rebooted their QB position this offseason. First, they handed Kirk Cousins a lucrative contract, providing the organization with some veteran consistency at the position for the first time since the Matt Ryan era. The team later surprised many when they also added first-round QB Michael Penix Jr., a decision that definitively locked up a second QB spot on the 53-man roster.

While the team generally carried three QBs in 2023 while taking advantage of the league’s emergency quarterback spot, that might not be the case in 2024. Kendall says the team may prefer to just stash a young option on the practice squad as a QB3, and that means Heinicke (along with current QB4 Nathan Rourke) would likely be on the outside looking in.

While the Falcons would surely prefer to trade their quarterback, it may be easier said than done. Teams won’t be willing to give up a whole lot if they expect the Falcons to eventually cut Heinicke, and any QB-needy squads may just prefer to take their chances in a post-preseason bidding war. On the flip side, Heinicke doesn’t necessarily break the bank with his $4.5MM cap hit, and his starting experience could be valuable for teams seeking a dependable QB2. All the Falcons need is one suitor, but the team shouldn’t expect more than a late-round swap for the 31-year-old.

Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke Does Not Expect To Remain On Roster

July 28th, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Parks

When the Falcons made the surprising decision to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, Taylor Heinicke’s hold on a roster spot suddenly became quite tenuous. Before the draft, Heinicke accepted a substantial pay cut to remain on the team as the presumptive backup to marquee free agent acquisition Kirk Cousins, though the Penix pick obviously altered expectations in a big way.

Penix worked with the third-team offense in minicamp, but the Falcons have always expected him to serve as the QB2 behind Cousins this year. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Penix has flashed in the early stages of training camp, and that the club plans to keep two signal-callers on the roster with a third on the taxi squad. As such, Heinicke believes his stay with his hometown team is unlikely to last much longer.

“Yeah, I kind of see the writing on the wall,” Heinicke said after last night’s open practice. “It’s nothing that I haven’t been through before. So, I accept my role in any case. My role, for me, and what I think is to help Kirk any way that I can. If he has any questions. Same thing with Mike. Sometimes the game is fast. Sometimes everything is fast for rookies.”

Heinicke has 29 regular season starts in his NFL career and has compiled a 13-15-1 record. That includes a 1-3 mark with the Falcons last season, when he was promoted to the starting job in the wake of Desmond Ridder’s struggles. He completed 54.4% of his passes for 890 yards and five touchdowns against four picks, which amounts to a subpar quarterback rating of 74.7.

Still, Heinicke is just one year removed from signing a two-year, $14MM contract, a notable deal that underscores his value to an NFL club. While he is obviously not a bonafide QB1, he can at least keep a team afloat for a few games should that team’s starter be forced to miss time.

Ledbetter says Cousins will not take part in any preseason games. He suggests that Penix, Heinicke, and UDFA rookie John Paddock could be utilized in the exhibition contests, but assuming all goes according to plan, Atlanta may ultimately seek to deal Heinicke.

Now that Heinicke’s base salary has been reduced to $1.21MM, the Falcons could theoretically find a taker for an experienced backup on an eminently reasonable contract. The team could also cut Heinicke, but given the minimal cap savings such a transaction would yield, Atlanta may be better served by keeping him on board as a veteran mentor for Penix.

Falcons’ Kirk Cousins, Grady Jarrett Medically Cleared

July 25th, 2024 at 10:49am CST by Adam La Rose

As the Falcons begin training camp, two of their most important players have received a clean bill of health. Head coach Raheem Morris announced on Thursday that quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett have been cleared to take part in training camp (h/t ESPN’s Marc Raimondi).

The news comes as little surprise given the team’s recovery expectations for both players. Jarrett hoped to be back to 100% in time for the start of camp, and that has proven to be the case. The two-time Pro Bowler was limited to eight games last season due to an ACL tear suffered on the same day Cousins’ campaign was cut short by a torn Achilles.

The latter’s rehab has been a key storyline throughout the offseason as he prepares for his debut Atlanta campaign. Cousins said earlier this month he intended to be back at full strength no later than August 1, so today’s update is an encouraging sign. It has long been expected the Falcons would take a cautious approach with the 35-year-old’s practice workload as he continues to rehab, but he will have not share time with the starting offense this summer.

Morris said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic) Cousins will receive all of Atlanta’s first-team reps during training camp. That will leave first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. and incumbent Taylor Heinicke to split time with the team’s backups. Cousins has already been assured of the starting gig in spite of Penix’s draft status, leaving him free to focus on his transition to Atlanta at the start of his four-year, $160MM pact. Penix, meanwhile, will aim to lock down the QB2 role over the coming weeks.

The Falcons made a pair of draft investments along the defensive interior this spring, but Jarrett will remain a focal point upon his return to health in 2024. The 31-year-old has recorded multiple sacks seven times in his career, and two years remain on his current contract. He and Cousins will have a full training camp under their belts by the time the campaign starts.

Kirk Cousins Expects To Be Full-Go ‘Well Before’ Week 1; Grady Jarrett Eyeing Training Camp Return

June 12th, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Thrust into an unusual situation following the Falcons’ scrutinized decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, Kirk Cousins is also in the final stages of rehab from his first significant NFL injury. The high-priced Atlanta QB is not quite recovered from his Achilles setback.

Cousins is close, however, and the 13th-year veteran said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall) he expects to be operating at full speed well before Week 1. In the meantime, the new Falcons passer has taken every snap with the team’s first-stringers during the offseason program.

The Falcons gave Cousins a four-year, $180MM deal that includes $100MM in practical guarantees. While they then made the unexpected move to draft Penix, no doubts about the team’s 2024 starter have surfaced. Cousins, who will turn 36 in August, is locked into that role. Although Penix took third-team reps — behind Taylor Heinicke — during the Falcons’ Tuesday minicamp practice, Kendall notes the Falcons expect the rookie to be the backup this season. Heinicke accepted a pay cut to remain with his hometown team, doing so before the team picked Penix.

The Vikings lost Cousins for the season on Oct. 29. While the durable QB had missed two starts during his Minnesota tenure, they came due to COVID-19 or the team resting starters in a season finale. The Falcons are betting on the immobile passer’s track record before he went down, and Cousins has called himself ahead of schedule; he previously did not expect to participate in OTAs or minicamp. Training camp will begin nearly nine months after the injury.

Cousins is the Falcons’ highest-profile player rehabbing an injury, but the team’s longtime defensive line anchor is also coming back from a season-ending malady. Grady Jarrett sustained an ACL tear on same day Cousins went down, missing the final nine games of Atlanta’s season. Unlike Cousins, Jarrett is not participating in Atlanta’s minicamp. Going into his 10th NFL season, Jarrett said he is targeting a return by training camp.

“That’s my goal,” Jarrett said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Gabriel Burns. “Obviously with training camp, there’s always a ramp-up period. Mine might look a little different, but the bulk of it, my goal is to have most of my reps in and not too much special treatment on the side. That’s what I’m working for.”

It would certainly not surprise to see Jarrett begin camp on Atlanta’s active/PUP list, a designation that keeps players sidelined until they are ready to practice. A stay on the reserve/PUP list — a regular-season designation that costs players at least four games — appears unlikely. ACL tears affect players differently, and it has not been uncommon to see some midseason knee injuries lead to early-season absences the following year. But more than 10 months will have passed between Jarrett’s injury and the Falcons’ Week 1 game. It should be expected the veteran D-lineman will be available for Atlanta’s opener.

Jarrett, 31, is working in a third defensive system in three years. After Dean Pees‘ retirement, the Falcons moving on from Arthur Smith effectively ensured DC Ryan Nielsen would be a one-and-done in Georgia. Raheem Morris and fellow ex-Rams assistant Jimmy Lake are now running the show. Two seasons remain on Jarrett’s three-year, $49.5MM extension.

Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke Accepts Pay Cut

April 2nd, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year’s QB2 carousel featured Taylor Heinicke collecting more guaranteed money than most reserve passers. Only Andy Dalton and Jacoby Brissett fetched more money at signing than Heinicke, who collected $6.32MM guaranteed on a two-year, $14MM deal.

Heinicke, who logged a few starts last season as Desmond Ridder struggled, remains with the team. The Atlanta native, however, is now tied to a much lower 2024 salary. Heinicke accepted a pay cut to stay with the Falcons, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein notes. As Atlanta transitions to its Kirk Cousins era, its backup will carry a lower cap number this coming season.

The Falcons trimmed Heinicke’s 2024 base salary from $5MM to $1.21MM. With Heinicke’s cap number now down to $4.53MM, this transaction will save the team nearly $4.5MM in cap space. With many teams filling their backup jobs already — one of them (the Cardinals) doing so by trading for Ridder — Heinicke did not have a host of options if he declined the pay cut. As it stands, he remains on track to be Cousins’ backup.

As the Falcons transition to Zac Robinson‘s Rams-influenced offense, they plan to add another quarterback to compete with Heinicke for the backup gig. While Cousins has been one of the NFL’s most durable players during this period, his October Achilles tear does make Atlanta’s QB2 job a bit more important than it otherwise would have been.

Heinicke, who operated as the Commanders’ starter for most of the 2021 season and kept Carson Wentz on the bench at points in 2022, has 30 career starts on his resume. That includes a close loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in the 2020 wild-card round. Last season, the Falcons turned to Heinicke on multiple occasions. Despite showing tremendous confidence in Ridder during the 2023 offseason, Atlanta benched the 2022 third-round pick in Week 8 and again in Week 16. This led to four Heinicke starts. The final outing — a three-INT effort against the Bears — doomed Atlanta’s fleeting playoff hopes, swinging the door wide open for Arthur Smith‘s firing.

Heinicke, 31, only completed 54.4% of his throws last season. It would seem likely the Falcons use a draft choice to staff to add here, as Cousins is now tied to a $100MM practical guarantee. Cousins’ guarantees stretch into 2026. Heinicke’s deal will still expire after the season.

Falcons To Make Depth QB Addition; Desmond Ridder Did Not Request Trade

March 30th, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

The top of Atlanta’s quarterback depth chart is set with Kirk Cousins in the fold. His addition has relegated Taylor Heinicke to backup duties as things stand, but the latter may not have the QB2 role by the time the 2024 campaign begins.

Heinicke will see competition for the backup gig brought in, head coach Raheem Morris said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall). The Atlanta native joined the team last offseason as a veteran insurance policy for Desmond Ridder. Neither passer performed well enough when on the field to justify being named the 2024 starter, however, fueling the aggressive pursuit of Cousins.

Atlanta currently has just $6.3MM in cap space, most of which will be needed to sign the team’s incoming rookie class. As a result, even a one-year deal with a veteran backup option (such as Ryan Tannehill or Carson Wentz) could prove to be too expensive. Next month’s draft will offer the opportunity to add a developmental passer at a lower cost.

To that end, the Falcons are amongst the teams which have a visit lined up with Michael Penix Jr. The 2023 Heisman runner up may not be in Atlanta’s range, though, provided the team uses the No. 8 pick on a position other than quarterback. Still, it comes as little surprise Heinicke will need to beat out a new arrival for the backup job in training camp. The 31-year-old has one year left on his re-worked contract, and a release would create $1.21MM in cap savings along with a $3.32MM dead cap charge.

Not long after the Cousins deal was in place, Ridder was dealt to the Cardinals. That swap – which yielded receiver Rondale Moore in return – allowed the 2022 third-rounder to receive a fresh start after an underwhelming time as a starter with Atlanta. The trade did not come about based on Ridder’s desire to leave, though.

“Desmond is a great kid,” Morris said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He did not come to us and demand a trade. He did not come to us and do anything like that… The opportunity presented itself for us to add speed to our [receivers group]. Desmond went out with class.”

Ridder will now turn his attention to backing up Kyler Murray in Arizona. While the Cardinals’ QB depth chart (which also includes Clayton Tune) is now set, that of the Falcons is set to see an addition relatively soon.

Falcons Intend To Start Taylor Heinicke For Rest Of Season

December 20th, 2023 at 10:48am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 20: If the Falcons are to make a late run to the playoffs, Heinicke will be leading the way. Smith said the team will go with the former Washington starter the rest of the way. When Smith benched Ridder the first time, he kept the door open for a return. While the Falcons reinstalled Ridder as their starter, it appears the second-year passer — anointed as the starter back in March — is not in the team’s plans to close out this season. With Smith uncertain to be retained for 2024, plenty rides on Heinicke.

DECEMBER 19: In the aftermath of the Falcons’ loss on Sunday, head coach Arthur Smith said a quarterback change was being contemplated. After going back to Desmond Ridder, Atlanta is now set to hand the reins to Taylor Heinicke once again.

The latter will get the start in Week 16, Josh Kendall and Jeff Schultz of The Athletic report (subscription required). That comes as no surprise after Smith’s remarks left the door open to Heinicke being reinstalled as the No. 1 for at least the time being. Ridder was given the starting role back after the Falcons’ bye week, and the team intended for that decision to apply through the remainder of the campaign.

However, the 2022 third-rounder has not improved as hoped during his second stint as a starter. Ridder has committed 16 turnovers this season, including six in the red zone. As a result, Atlanta sits at 6-8 on the year and is in danger of missing out on the postseason. A late switch back to Heinicke could provide more stability under center down the stretch.

After putting Ridder atop the depth chart for the final four games of his rookie season, the Falcons gave him a vote of confidence. The decision to sign Heinicke to a two-year, $14MM deal in the offseason was aimed at providing experienced depth, although the starter’s job was certainly not set in stone entering the season. With Ridder struggling to make the Year 2 jump, Heinicke earned a pair of starts midway through the season after replacing Ridder at halftime the game before.

In his time at the helm (which was cut short by a hamstring injury), Heinicke posted a passer rating of 84.2, the second-lowest of his career. The former Commanders starter committed only one turnover in that span, however, so he could provide a higher floor than Ridder against the Colts this week. Fighting for both the top spot in the NFC South as well as a wild-card spot, the Falcons will need a rebound from last week’s poor offensive showing to keep their postseason chances alive.

The team faces the possibility of missing the playoffs for a third straight season under head coach Arthur Smith. In spite of that, the latest reporting on the matter points to Atlanta retaining him for next season. As The Athletic report notes, however, Smith’s job security may become dependent on a plan to acquire a new starter under center despite both Ridder and Heinicke being on the books beyond 2023. Neither passer has done enough to lay claim to a permanent No. 1 role to date, but Heinicke will get another opportunity to do so this Sunday.

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