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Popular former Commanders quarterback announces NFL retirement
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- Popular former Commanders quarterback announces NFL retirement
Popular former Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke has officially announced his retirement.
Heinicke, 33, broke the news with a message on his Instagram account.
"Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold," Heinicke wrote. Never in my wildest dreams did I think would've been able to live this life."
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Heinicke entered the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 as an undrafted free agent after a record-breaking career at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He spent his first two seasons with Minnesota before being waived ahead of the 2017 season. He would sign with the New England Patriots and was released a few weeks later. He signed with the Houston Texans in November 2017 and made his NFL debut, appearing in one game.
After being waived in April 2018, the Carolina Panthers claimed Heinicke. He spent the entire 2018 season with Carolina, appearing in six games and making one start before being released during final cuts ahead of the 2019 season. He landed in the XFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks, but did not play in one game. Heinicke's life would change in December 2020, when then-Washington coach Ron Rivera called him off his sister's couch to serve as the team's emergency "COVID" quarterback.
Heinicke signed with Washington on December 8 and was promoted to the 53-man roster on December 19. He'd appear in one game, in relief of Dwayne Haskins , where he completed 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. When Washington unexpectedly won the NFC East, it turned to Heinicke to start the NFC Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Alex Smith out with a calf injury.
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Heinicke was phenomenal in the playoff game, completing 26 of 44 passes for 301 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also carried the ball six times for 46 yards and one touchdown. While Washington came up short against the eventual Super Bowl champions, Heinicke became a cult favorite among fans and earned a new two-year contract.
In 2021, Washington signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the starting quarterback. He was lost for the year in Week 1, leading Heinicke to start 15 games, going 7-8 as a starter. In 2022, the Commanders traded for Carson Wentz . Wentz was injured and replaced by Heinicke, before later being benched again for the struggling Wentz. He would start nine games in 2022, going 5-3-1 as the starting quarterback.
Heinicke departed Washington in 2023, signing a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons . After one season in Atlanta, Heinicke was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of the 2024 season. He did not play last season.
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For his NFL career, Heinicke appeared in 42 games, making 29 starts. He completed 62.5% of his passes for 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He also rushed for 606 yards.
Several NFL players responded to Heinicke's message, including former Washington teammates Chase Young , Sam Howell , Kam Curl , Jonathan Allen , Antonio Gibson and Dyami Brown . Heinicke was not only popular among his teammates during his time in Washington, but also among the fans, too. During his time with the Commanders, Heinicke led the team to big wins over legendary quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers , and was also under center for Washington during its Monday night upset win over the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.
Make no mistake, Heinicke will be best remembered for his time in Washington, even ending his retirement message with a "Go Skins."
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Taylor Heinicke announces NFL retirement
