Report: Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke agrees to pay cut

Field Level Media|published: Tue 2nd April, 12:37 2024

Dec 31, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. credits: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke agreed to a pay cut to remain with the Atlanta Falcons, ESPN reported.

His base salary for the 2024 season was slashed from $5 million to $1.21 million, and his $1.32 million roster bonus was reclassified as a signing bonus, per Monday's report.

Heinicke's active roster bonus of $40,000 per game was also removed from his contract and his total cap number was reduced from $8.96 million to $4.53 million.

The Falcons have overhauled their quarterback room this offseason, signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract at the start of free agency and trading Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals.

Heinicke, 31, was 1-3 as the starter in his first season with Atlanta in 2023, completing 54.4 percent of his passes for 890 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

He is 13-15-1 overall with 6,635 passing yards, 39 TDs and 28 picks in 38 games (29 starts) with the Houston Texans (2017), Carolina Panthers (2018), Washington (2020-22) and Atlanta.

—Field Level Media