Following the Falcons’ Sunday defeat, head coach Arthur Smith stated that a quarterback switch was being considered. After returning to Desmond Ridder, Atlanta is about to give Taylor Heinicke the reigns once more.

According to Josh Kendall and Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, the latter will start in Week 16. That is expected given that Smith’s comments implied that Heinicke may be restored as the top player—at least for the foreseeable future. Following the Falcons’ bye week, Ridder was once again granted the starting job, and the team planned for that decision to stand for the duration of the season.

But in his second stint as a starter, the 2022 third-round pick has not shown the improvement that was anticipated. This season, Ridder has made 16 mistakes, six of which have been in the red zone. Atlanta is currently 6-8 on the season and might potentially miss the postseason as a result. Down the stretch, a late transfer back to Heinicke might offer additional consistency under centre.

The Falcons gave Ridder a vote of confidence after placing him at the top of the depth chart for the last four games of his rookie campaign. Although the starter’s position was by no means assured going into the season, the decision to sign Heinicke to a two-year, $14 million contract in the offseason was made with the intention of providing experienced depth. Heinicke got two starts halfway through the season after taking Ridder’s place at halftime in the previous game, as Ridder was having trouble making the Year 2 leap.

Heinicke’s tenure as head coach, which was cut short due to a hamstring injury, saw him record the second-lowest passer rating of his career (84.2). But in that time, the former Commanders starter only had one turnover, so this week against the Colts, he might offer a better floor than Ridder. The Falcons are vying for a wild-card berth as well as the top slot in the NFC South, and they will need to recover from last week’s subpar offensive performance in order to maintain their postseason hopes.

Under head coach Arthur Smith, the squad could miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Despite this, the most recent information is that Atlanta will keep him for the upcoming campaign. Despite Ridder and Heinicke’s contracts expiring in 2023, Smith’s job security might hinge on a strategy to bring in a new starting quarterback under centre, as noted in The Athletic report. Until now, neither passer has proven worthy of a starting position at the top, but this Sunday, Heinicke will have another chance to prove it.