Washington Football Team Depth Chart: Breaking down the QB room for 2021
Backup QB battle: Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke
The competition for the backup job behind Fitzpatrick will be fierce. Both Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke could claim the second-string job, and both are still young quarterbacks standards.
All that said, it will be all about which one can outperform the other during the offseason. And if one shines, they will be the one to earn the right to potentially replace Fitzpatrick.
Allen was solid for Washington in limited action last year. The 25-year-old appeared in four games for the team, all starts, and completed 69 percent of his passes for 610 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception. He also ran seven times for 26 yards and a touchdown.
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In many ways, Allen is like Fitzpatrick. He’s a gunslinger that takes chances downfield and has a good arm, but he has struggled with turnovers and consistency in the past. He had cleaned those up before suffering a painful ankle dislocation that ended his season. However, he is expected to be healthy in 2021.
Washington traded a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft to acquire Allen’s services, so obviously, Ron Rivera and Co. think highly of him. He may have a legitimate shot to stake his claim as the backup and successor to Fitzpatrick.
As for Heinicke, he’s a very interesting case for Washington. The 28-year-old joined the practice squad as COVID insurance for the team’s QB room, but he turned out to be more than that. When injuries and issues with Haskins’ maturity struck late in the year, it was Heinicke that was called in to start a playoff game for Washington.
In that outing against Tampa Bay, Heinicke was terrific. He threw for 306 yards, a TD, and an INT on 59 percent passing against one of the league’s toughest defenses. He also ran for 46 yards and a memorable touchdown to keep Washington in the game into the second half.
For all his heroics in that game, Heinicke only has two career starts under his belt and wasn’t with an NFL team for almost a calendar year. Plus, he has a smaller frame (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) so he could be an injury risk. Heinicke will have to prove those two knocks non-consequential as he looks to challenge Allen and Fitzpatrick.
If you’re looking for upside, it exists with both of these players, and Heinicke did flash some great potential against the Buccaneers. In truth, either could prove to challenge Fitzpatrick, but first, they’ll have to challenge each other for a spot on the QB depth chart.