Taylor Heinicke breaks silence amid Commanders’ swirling QB rumors

In less than two months from now, the Washington Commanders will have hopefully appointed their new starting quarterback.

With the market continuing to grow amid rumors that the Colts are expected to cut or trade Carson Wentz before his base salary becomes fully guaranteed, the front office will have no shortage of options to analyze.

Much to the chagrin of fans, the buzz linking Washington to Jimmy Garoppolo continues to grow louder. One anonymous executive even believes the team could “justify” giving up a first-round pick for the 49ers starter.

In light of all these rumors, Taylor Heinicke has become a forgotten man. While it’s widely expected he’ll be the backup for at next season and potentially beyond, it’s crazy to think how quickly folks have kicked him to the curb.

In fairness to fans, Ron Rivera continuing to note the club needs to vastly improve at the position has only fueled this narrative.

So, how is Heinicke handling all of the hoopla? Over Super Bowl weekend, the Old Dominion product, who started 16 games for Washington in 2021, joined the “Jim Rome Show” to say he’s “preparing for another (QB) battle.”

Taylor Heinicke broke his silence amid the Commanders’ swirling quarterback rumors.

"It’s nothing new in my career. It’s been like that since high school. I welcome it. It makes me better. And, I think it makes the guy I’m competing with better. I’m prepared for it. Whatever happens, happens. But, I just want to be there.”"

As misguided as it is, that answer just encapsulates how Heinicke has endeared himself to Washington fans. Unless the only quarterback brought in is a rookie prospect, though, there isn’t going to be a QB battle in Landover this offseason.

Last year, Heinicke and Ryan Fitzpatrick engaged in a so-called battle throughout training camp and the preseason. Even though Fitz didn’t impress in his limited reps, it was clear Heinicke didn’t stand a chance at winning the competition.

If anything, Rivera was merely paying his respects to Heinicke after he nearly led the Commanders to an upset victory against the Buccaneers in the 2020 playoffs. Barring an injury, Fitz was always going to be the opening day starter.

Lo and behold, Heinicke started 16 games for the Commanders after Fitzpatrick suffered a season-ending hip dislocation in Week 1. It was a rollercoaster season for Heinicke, who completed 65% of his passes for 3,419 yards (213.7 per game), 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 85.9 passer rating.

While he struggled with consistency, the 28-year-old had the joint fourth-most game winning drives of any quarterback in the NFL with four. In addition, only Ben Roethlisberger, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson had more fourth-quarter comebacks than Heincike’s three.

Long story short, Washington fans won’t soon forget what Heinicke, a career backup, contributed during his brief run as the starter.

For all of his lowlights, he pushed the eventual champion Bucs and Tom Brady to the brink of an upset in the playoffs and helped the team win seven games in 2021 despite playing the hardest schedule in the league.

Will he start another game for Washington in his career? It’s too early to tell. What we do know, though, is that he’ll be ready if his number gets called.