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Why the Washington Football Team shouldn’t go all in on the Taylor Heinicke hype

By Jonathan Eig

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 27: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball away from the tackle of Efe Obada #94 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at FedExField on December 27, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 27: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball away from the tackle of Efe Obada #94 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at FedExField on December 27, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 27: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball away from the tackle of Efe Obada #94 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at FedExField on December 27, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 27: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Football Team scrambles with the ball away from the tackle of Efe Obada #94 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at FedExField on December 27, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Taylor Heinicke may not be the franchise savior the Washington Football Team is hoping for.

For any of you waiting for Taylor Heinicke to emerge as the quarterback savior of the franchise, here’s my advice: Don’t hold your breath.

I know – he has added weight and strength to his frame.

I know – offensive coordinator Scott Turner seems to really like him.

I know – he played a truly outstanding game against Tampa Bay in the 2020 playoffs.

And believe me, I know that the modern NFL is very friendly to undersized quarterbacks with mobility. All that is true.

This is also true: Taylor Heinicke does not have the arm to be an upper-tier NFL quarterback. Heinicke has already beaten the odds. His career was over before it ever really started, and now, I give him a reasonable chance of outdueling Kyle Allen to become the top backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2021.

If that happens, and Fitzpatrick falters or gets hurt, I would not be terribly surprised to see Heinicke start some games and even win a few. I am not saying he has nothing to offer.

But I’ve been reading a lot of Heinicke praise of late, and I feel the need to put it down early.

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