Thanks for the memories, Taylor Heinicke.
The feisty former Washington Commanders starting quarterback announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday, and gave a shoutout to the team he was most known for during his 10 seasons while breaking the news on his social media accounts.
“For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football … it has taught me a lot, not only about myself, but about life as well,” Heinicke wrote. “Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would’ve been able to live this life. Thank you to all who have supported me in this journey. Thank you all who have believed in me. And thank you to those who gave me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. Excited for this next chapter of my life! And always, Go Skins!”
Heinicke started for the Commanders in a playoff game following the 2020 season before becoming the team’s primary starter for the next 2 seasons.
In all, Heinicke played 10 seasons of professional football — 9 seasons in the NFL and 1 season in the UFL.
From Undrafted to Starting NFL Quarterback
Heinicke was the FCS National Freshman of the Year at Old Dominion in 2011, then won the Walter Payton Award as the nation’s best FCS player in 2012. He continued to shine as ODU transitioned from FCS to the FBS, playing as an independent in 2013 and in Conference USA in 2014.
Wherever Heinicke was at, he balled out. He ended his college career with 14,959 passing yards, 1,320 rushing yards and 154 total touchdowns (132 passing, 22 rushing).
After going undrafted in 2015, Heinicke spent four seasons as a backup or practice squad player for the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers before he was out of football completely by 2019. He even played 1 season for UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2020, and was in the middle of taking classes to finish his engineering degree at ODU when he signed with the Commanders in December 2020.
After an injury to starter Alex Smith, he wound up starting a 31-23 NFC Wild Card playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heinicke turned heads with his play, throwing for 304 yards and 1 touchdown while rushing for another score.
In 2021, Heinicke took over as the starter for the Commanders after Ryan Fitzpatrick was hurt in the season opener and ended up starting 15 games and going 7-8. He began 2022 as the backup to Carson Wentz and went 5-3-1 in 9 starts after Wentz fractured his finger in Week 6.
Last Chances With Falcons and Chargers
Heinicke signed a 2-year, $14 million contract with the Falcons in March 2023 and backed up Desmond Ridder, who flamed out as Heinicke became the starter late in the year.
In 2023, Heinicke went 1-3 in 4 starts for the Falcons after Ridder was benched late in the season. Heinicke was presumed to be the backup to free-agent signee Kirk Cousins in 2024 until the Falcons shocked the football world and drafted Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall.
The Falcons traded Heinicke to the Los Angeles Chargers in August 2024 in exchange for a 2025 7th-round pick. Heinicke’s final season in the NFL would end up being with the Chargers in 2024.
He finishes his NFL career with approximately $19.3 million in career earnings.
Former Commanders Starting QB Retires After 10 Seasons