Falcons have $6M in cap space after Taylor Heinicke pay cut

Few were surprised to see the Atlanta Falcons make a change at the quarterback position following the team’s rocky 2023 regular season. Neither Desmond Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke proved to be Atlanta’s long-term answer at the game’s most important position.

On the first day of free agency, the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal and later traded Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals. This left Heinicke as the primary backup QB, but his contract still needed some work.

As ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reported, the Falcons got Heinicke to take a pay cut, lowering his 2024 cap number from $8.96 million to $4.53 million:

The reduction in the deal lowers Heinicke’s cap number from $8.96 million to $4.53 million — including a cash value of $2.53 million. If the Falcons were to release him at this point, he would cost $3.32 million in dead money with only a cap savings of $1.21 million. — Michael Rothstein, ESPN

Heinicke’s restructured contract is a sign the team wants to keep him around as Cousins’ backup this season. According to Over The Cap‘s updated salary cap numbers, the Falcons have roughly $6.3 million in cap space available.

That extra cash gives the team more flexibility in free agency and some big names are still available. Former Falcons defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who tied for the team lead in sacks last season, is one potential option for Atlanta.

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