The Washington Football Team have secured themselves at least one quarterback for the 2021 NFL season. And it isn’t the guy everyone expected.
The team announced on Wednesday that signal-caller Taylor Heinicke inked a two-year deal to stay in Washington. The 27-year-old QB will reportedly earn $8.75 million during the duration of the contract.
Heinicke, who was set to hit the free agency in March, earned his stay with a couple of strong performances late last season. He first played a solid fourth quarter in Week 16 before starting in the wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite Washington losing that game, Heinicke put up a strong outing. He threw for 306 yards and a touchdown while adding 46 yards on the ground and running for a score.
This showing against the Bucs probably saved Taylor Heinicke’s NFL career, as he was ready to walk from football after several rough years in the league. He didn’t have a team since being released by the Carolina Panthers before the 2019 season and was in the process of getting his degree at Old Dominion University when he received a call to join Washington’s practice squad.
Heinicke, who was an undrafted free agent in 2015, previously had stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, and Panthers. He didn’t play much with either of these organizations, seeing just 101 snaps in five years.
While Washington probably doesn’t have Heinicke as their top choice for starting QB in 2021, he has a good chance to secure a backup spot. The future of veteran Alex Smith is uncertain, while Kyle Allen and Steven Montez will both become free agents this offseason.
