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QB Taylor Heinicke, ATL (1 Viewer)

Washington re-signed QB Taylor Heinicke to a two-year, $8.75 million contract.

It comes with just $500,000 guaranteed and is very incentive-laden. Heinicke signed to the practice squad in December and replaced Dwayne Haskins as Alex Smith's backup. He started Washington's Wild Card loss with Smith injured, throwing for 306 yards with an interception and two touchdowns. Washington likely would have used a second-round tender on Heinicke, so this is a nice raise. With Kyle Allen an exclusive rights free agent and Smith’s future up in the air, Heinicke has an outside chance to compete for a starting role in 2021.

Feb 10, 2021, 10:35 AM ET

 
1st waivers after the (rookie only) drafts ran this week for a couple of my SF leagues, and I got him for .5% in both. I'm glad these reports waited a few days!

 
Saw this kid play at ODU many times. Huge fan. Always thought he should get a real shot, with his only big knack (at that time) being less then ideal size

 
Feels like a possible Tony Romo-esque ascension could happen here.  Alas, my dynasty league is not quite seep enough to grab this guy.

 
Taylor Heinicke completed 11-of-15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in Washington's 20-16 Week 1 loss to the Chargers, adding three rushes for 17 yards. 

Heinicke was erratic at times but a far superior option to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who left the game in the first half with a hip injury. He hit Logan Thomas for the Football Team's lone touchdown against a stingy Chargers defense. Heinicke connected with Terry McLaurin for a 34-yard completion down the sideline too. He should be considered an upgrade over Fitzpatrick. Hopefully the Football Team will throw more than 21 passes next week against the Giants. Heinicke profiles as an interesting superflex option in Week 2 if Fitzpatrick sits. 

RELATED: 

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Sep 12, 2021, 5:19 PM ET

 
TAYLOR HEINICKE QB, WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

Washington coach Ron Rivera said the team is not looking to sign a quarterback.

Things could change after Rivera sees a few games from Taylor Heinicke but the Football Team will enter Week 2 with him as their starter and Kyle Allen as the backup. Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip) will miss at least three games after being placed on injured reserve but his absence could extend well past that minimum. Heinicke made a noble effort versus the Bucs in the playoffs last year, topping 300 yards through the air while throwing a touchdown and an interception. The game represented the second start of his career. He also adds some utility with his legs. He has 12 career carries for 72 yards. Heinicke makes the cut as a viable streaming option in Superflex and 2QB leagues.

RELATED: 

Kyle Allen

, Ryan Fitzpatrick

SOURCE: Nicki Jhabvala on Twitter

Sep 13, 2021, 1:15 PM ET

 
I'm betting Heinicke takes this job and runs with it. Seems like he likes to sling it and has some pretty gutsy runs. 

 
feel good story guy, undersized, weak arm. hope he makes the most of his opportunities, but nothing I read about him says NFL starting QB.

 
He was a backup in the XFL to Jordan Taamu who can't seem to catch a break in the NFL.

He looked like a former arena or XFL guy last year- little risky, little too eager, fun though fun. He looks wayyy more mature this year. It's incredible what some time in a system and some confidence can do to a player.

If their D can give him an easy win here...he's only confidence away from being a solid starter. Fitz might not get his job back

 
Taylor Heinicke completed 34-of-46 passes for 336 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Washington's 30-29, Week 2 win over the Giants. 

Making his second career start, Heinicke got over some early nerves — his first two drives went nowhere, with the Football Team's wideouts having to leave their feet on nearly every pass attempt — to settle in and do what the coaching staff wanted him to do: Relentlessly target Terry McLaurin and J.D. McKissic. Fantasy managers might disagree on the latter point, but McKissic provided the biggest play of the game with a 56-yard sideline reception in the fourth quarter, while McLaurin came up with one monster grab after another following the break. Heinicke's ball placement isn't the greatest the NFL has ever seen, but it was better than replacement-level this evening, just as it was in the Wild Card Round. He did nearly throw the game away with a horrific fourth quarter pick on a pass that should have never left his hands. Either way, it's possible Heinicke is the best quarterback on the Football Team's roster. They will have more than a month to find out with Ryan Fitzpatrick out 6-8 weeks with a hip injury. There are going to be valleys for a journeyman like Heinicke, but we have already gotten peaks that could not have been taken for granted. The Bills represent a stiff Week 3 road test, keeping Heinicke merely in superflex territory. 

Sep 16, 2021, 11:47 PM ET

 
Dude looks the part. Giant D is awful but he made some great throws and his receivers made some great catches. 
 

 
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I said it Wednesday night in Random Shots. Dismiss Taylor Heinicke at your peril. Dude can play.  He’s not Tom Brady. But he’s pretty good.

 
I wouldn't rush to anoint him. To make an analogy, dude is a righty that throws 89 mph and straight in baseball. Teams might really adjust to his below-average arm strength and accuracy. Make him throw outside the hashes by shading the cornerbacks to the inside shoulder. Make him throw deep by bringing up the safeties. Basic stuff. The thing that encouraged me was that the throw to Seals-Jones had some oomph.

But really, it reminds me of Minshew Mania after his great Thursday night against Tennessee in 2019. Heinecke has had a couple of rock solid games against good defenses in the pros, but nobody has had the chance to adjust. He left tons of yards last night on the field w/r/t YAC. He missed McLaurin several times behind him and Humphries several times in front of him on basic slants and screens.

He wasn't actually that good.

That's really the gut assessment I have from last night. Could be wrong.

 
I wouldn't rush to anoint him. To make an analogy, dude is a righty that throws 89 mph and straight in baseball.
I just realized I was speaking the language of sinners, saints, and baseball. I am on the wrong site, folks. Thanks for indulging me. :)

 
I wouldn't rush to anoint him. To make an analogy, dude is a righty that throws 89 mph and straight in baseball. Teams might really adjust to his below-average arm strength and accuracy. Make him throw outside the hashes by shading the cornerbacks to the inside shoulder. Make him throw deep by bringing up the safeties. Basic stuff. The thing that encouraged me was that the throw to Seals-Jones had some oomph.

But really, it reminds me of Minshew Mania after his great Thursday night against Tennessee in 2019. Heinecke has had a couple of rock solid games against good defenses in the pros, but nobody has had the chance to adjust. He left tons of yards last night on the field w/r/t YAC. He missed McLaurin several times behind him and Humphries several times in front of him on basic slants and screens.

He wasn't actually that good.

That's really the gut assessment I have from last night. Could be wrong.
Agreed on his accuracy.  He wasn't missing by a ton, but he was off enough to make his receivers really work.  He missed high a bit too much which could have resulted in INTs or his receivers getting crushed.  Thankfully for him that didn't happen.

He should probably not do that as much going forward.

 
I wouldn't rush to anoint him. To make an analogy, dude is a righty that throws 89 mph and straight in baseball. Teams might really adjust to his below-average arm strength and accuracy. Make him throw outside the hashes by shading the cornerbacks to the inside shoulder. Make him throw deep by bringing up the safeties. Basic stuff. The thing that encouraged me was that the throw to Seals-Jones had some oomph.

But really, it reminds me of Minshew Mania after his great Thursday night against Tennessee in 2019. Heinecke has had a couple of rock solid games against good defenses in the pros, but nobody has had the chance to adjust. He left tons of yards last night on the field w/r/t YAC. He missed McLaurin several times behind him and Humphries several times in front of him on basic slants and screens.

He wasn't actually that good.

That's really the gut assessment I have from last night. Could be wrong.


Didn't do Logan Thomas any favors either.   <_<

 
Agreed on his accuracy.  He wasn't missing by a ton, but he was off enough to make his receivers really work.  He missed high a bit too much which could have resulted in INTs or his receivers getting crushed.  Thankfully for him that didn't happen.

He should probably not do that as much going forward.
Yeah, Aikman was really kind to his medicine balls. I mean, he threw one to Humphries and I think one to Brown that could have gotten either of them killed in yesterday's game.

Now, that point is "yesterday's game," but there is nothing stopping a clean hit if the ball gets there simultaneously to the player like we saw last night. In fact, there was an interference call on Bradberry, if I'm not mistaken, because the ball was clearly thrown up for grabs into almost triple coverage. You won't get away with that too often.

 
Didn't do Logan Thomas any favors either.   <_<
Oh, you just touched a nerve from me last night. Every time they showed Logan Thomas running a route, he was dogging it or running the route wrong. There was one in particular that he had to flatten out and he just drifted right into the DB. Uh uh. No, Logan. Bad job.

 
I wouldn't rush to anoint him. To make an analogy, dude is a righty that throws 89 mph and straight in baseball. Teams might really adjust to his below-average arm strength and accuracy. Make him throw outside the hashes by shading the cornerbacks to the inside shoulder. Make him throw deep by bringing up the safeties. Basic stuff. The thing that encouraged me was that the throw to Seals-Jones had some oomph.

But really, it reminds me of Minshew Mania after his great Thursday night against Tennessee in 2019. Heinecke has had a couple of rock solid games against good defenses in the pros, but nobody has had the chance to adjust. He left tons of yards last night on the field w/r/t YAC. He missed McLaurin several times behind him and Humphries several times in front of him on basic slants and screens.

He wasn't actually that good.

That's really the gut assessment I have from last night. Could be wrong.
Some of what you're saying is repeating the announcers. I think it's a bad habit for announcers to say "missed soandso" when a QB completes a pass. I get it when a pass is incomplete and someone is wide open but if he completes the pass, the guy did nothing wrong. 

You're underestimating his coaches and his experience in the rest.

 
Some of what you're saying is repeating the announcers. I think it's a bad habit for announcers to say "missed soandso" when a QB completes a pass. I get it when a pass is incomplete and someone is wide open but if he completes the pass, the guy did nothing wrong. 

You're underestimating his coaches and his experience in the rest.


No, I'm actually not. I saw him miss Humphries badly and they blamed Humphries and the turf for him falling.

I'd be awfully careful about saying that I'm repeating the announcers. I repeat nobody consciously. He missed McLaurin on a slant so badly that Terry could have taken it to the house. I'd be real careful about saying that.

 
I seriously don't listen to Troy Aikman and Joe Buck other than to think that they're buffoons. I still think Jones overthrew Darius Slayton in real time.

Saying I'm "underestimating his coaches and his experience" is almost laughable. He's in his fifth game. He's got no experience. He's got Ron Rivera, a defensive guy, as his coach. Scott Turner did very little with the Panthers during his tenure on the offensive side of the ball. He's the guy that actually managed to bury Curtis Samuel. Let's not anoint them geniuses yet.

I'm talking about his arm strength and how teams will adjust to it. Hitters sit on 89 much differently than they do 95. So do DBs. You can't coach an arm, really. You can put him in positions to succeed, but he'll suffer the fate of every weak-armed QB to date if what I'm seeing is truly a weaker/inaccurate arm.

If he reads defenses like Brady and has a coach like Belichick/McDaniels, bless the guy. He'll do very well. He's got Ron Rivera and is in his fourth or fifth real game.

 
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Yeah, Aikman was really kind to his medicine balls. I mean, he threw one to Humphries and I think one to Brown that could have gotten either of them killed in yesterday's game.

Now, that point is "yesterday's game," but there is nothing stopping a clean hit if the ball gets there simultaneously to the player like we saw last night. In fact, there was an interference call on Bradberry, if I'm not mistaken, because the ball was clearly thrown up for grabs into almost triple coverage. You won't get away with that too often.
Every pass he threw to McLaurin, I was thinking Terry wouldn’t get up. They were coming in way high. 

 
Every pass he threw to McLaurin, I was thinking Terry wouldn’t get up. They were coming in way high. 
I thought he was going to stay down, too, while watching the passes. I'm writing, though, because I realize I was unclear about what I meant by "yesterday's game." I meant it to mean "the game of yore," not literally "yesterday's game" played yesterday. I meant that those were utter kill balls if he threw them fifteen years ago. But much like Scott Stevens's hits don't exist anymore in hockey, nor do those kind of hits from a safety, for the most part.

But all it takes is one medicine ball and one simultaneously timed hit below the head and legal, and McLaurin is out of the game for good.

 
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For fantasy purposes (not real life purposes), the key to me is whether Heinicke is a QB who will add a minimum of 6-7 carries per game.  With 12 carries/72 yards in his two previous career starts (admittedly a small sample), I had some hope we might see that aspect of his game last night.

There were at least two times he did attempt to run when the turf monster attacked, but overall he clearly was not looking to be on the move.

The question to me is whether he was coached to try to stay in the pocket, given the very early stages of his development.

 
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I liked what I saw, especially from the mental makeup perspective. He looked down and out after he threw that crushing INT, but he was given another chance, and he made some plays and got the team in position to win. Not a ton of QBs can do that, let alone a QB that's starting on 4 days notice with not much starting experience.

Let's see what this team can do for him in the next 10 days, plus defensive adjustments. They should rely on Play Action more with him, but yeah, I'm still a tad nervous for McLaurin as he ran a ton of routes yesterday and was making crazy plays, but he kept getting up.

That is some impressive conditioning by both sides of the ball on the receiver sides. 

 
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