Taylor Heinicke reportedly has ‘real chance’ of starting for Washington Football Team

Taylor Heinicke reportedly has a “real chance” to start for the Washington Football Team on Saturday night.

The Washington Football Team is getting ready for the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs. They have a big matchup on tap with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but one of their most important questions remains unanswered: Who will start at quarterback?

Alex Smith is the undisputed starter for Washington at this point in the season, but he is dealing with a calf injury that has given him trouble in recent weeks. He labored through it against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 and his mobility in that game was certainly compromised.

Now, less than 24 hours before their game against the Bucs kicks off, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Smith’s calf “hasn’t loosened up”, and that may lead the team to start Taylor Heinicke in his stead.

This would be quite a development for Washington and for Heinicke. The former Old Dominion quarterback signed with Washington just over a month ago and only has one NFL start to his credit. He did play well in relief of Dwayne Haskins against the Panthers and nearly led Washington to a come-from-behind victory in Week 16, however, so there is some upside with Heinicke.

Heinicke is a better athlete than Smith is at this stage in his career, and Heinicke’s mobility should help the team better avoid any blitzes that Tampa Bay had dialed up for Smith. That could keep the Bucs off-balance early and give Washington a chance to move the chains should he get playing time.

Of course, it’s worth noting that Smith still could suit up if his calf responds well on Saturday morning. That will certainly be something to watch, as he will start if he is active, and Washington will give him every chance to get on the field. That said, even if Smith plays, fans should expect to see Heinicke play in this game if Smith’s injured calf tightens up again.

At this point, it seems likely that Ron Rivera is either going to be running with a two-quarterback system or with Heinicke alone as the quarterback. That may not seem ideal, but so long as Heinicke can avoid turnovers and big negative plays, Washington will have a chance to keep pace with the Bucs. They’ll just need their defense to step up and carry them to a potential victory.

For now, these are only rumors, but it does seem like Heinicke is ready to start, if needed. We’ll soon see if Smith can be ready or if Heinicke will get a chance to make a name for himself in this contest.