Taylor Heinicke, QB (ATL)

Prepping for backup role

Heinicke said his goal is to be "the best backup I can" behind fellow Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports. "They drafted [Ridder] high for a reason," Heinicke added Thursday afternoon.

The catch is that Atlanta didn't draft Ridder all that early (74th overall), while Heinicke's two-year, $14 million contract ($6.32 million guaranteed) makes him one of the better-compensated backups in the league. The team was clear with Heinicke about Ridder being the starter, which figures to carry into Week 1, but that doesn't necessarily mean the second-year pro will have a lot of leeway if he struggles once the season starts. Heinicke's stats from Washington -- 64.0 completion rate, 7.0 YPA, 33:21 TD:INT, 12-11-1 record -- give him a strong argument to be viewed among the two or three best backup quarterbacks in the league.

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Troy Andersen

Troy Andersen

LB | ATL

Will miss extended time

Andersen will require surgery to address a torn pectoral muscle and could be sidelined for 4-to-6 months, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Tyler Allgeier

Tyler Allgeier

RB | ATL

Back-to-back duds

Allgeier rushed seven times for 12 yards and caught two of three targets for 17 yards during Sunday's 20-6 loss versus Detroit.

Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson

RB | ATL

Contained by Detroit

Robinson rushed 10 times for 33 yards and caught four of six targets for 27 yards during Sunday's 20-6 loss to Detroit.

Still out

Patterson (thigh) is inactive for Sunday's matchup against the Lions, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.