Who Should I Start? Taylor Heinicke or Bryce Young

Wednesday, August 28, 8:22 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers are acquiring quarterback Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Not only is starting quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) recovering from plantar fasciitis in his foot, but backup Easton Stick regressed in training camp and the preseason. The 31-year-old Heinicke will be an upgrade at the QB position behind Herbert entering the regular season next week. In Atlanta, the Falcons were expected all along to try and trade Heinicke after taking rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the first round in April. Heinicke made his NFL debut back in 2017 with the Houston Texans and has appeared in 38 games (29 starts) since then with four different teams. His best year came in 2021 with Washington, when he threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 picks on 321 pass attempts over 16 games (15 starts).

Tuesday, October 22, 2:23 PM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was benched for veteran Andy Dalton after just two games in 2024, and he has remained the backup despite the Panthers' struggles in recent weeks. Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has thrown for just 3,176 yards 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions through his first 20 NFL games. He has compiled a 2-16 record as a starter. While Carolina has not suggested Young is on the trade block, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said she thinks other organizations could be interested in acquiring him. "I think there's a lot of coaches and GMs out there kind of licking their chops going 'maybe we can do something with him'," Russini said. This is an early report, but it puts Young on the radar as a potential trade target worth monitoring. We've seen several highly-drafted quarterbacks dealt in recent seasons, so Young being moved is not completely off the table.