Quarterback Taylor Heinicke announced the end of his seven-year NFL career Thursday, posting a message on Instagram thanking those who supported him, the report says. Heinicke, 33, wrote, “Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold,” and added he was “excited for this next chapter of my life,” per the report.
Heinicke spent time with seven franchises and appeared in games for five of them during a career that saw him start 29 NFL games and play in 42, the report says. He finished with 6,663 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions, according to the report.
He made his name with the Washington Commanders, getting 24 of his 29 career starts there after being signed to the practice squad in December 2020 as an emergency fourth quarterback who was kept separate in case other quarterbacks caught COVID-19, per the report. The report says he had familiarity with Washington’s system from previous stops in Minnesota and Carolina, and that when the team called he had been sleeping on his sister’s couch in Atlanta while taking online classes to complete his degree at Old Dominion. His last experience before that had been serving as a backup in the XFL in 2019, the report adds.
A month after arriving in Washington, Heinicke started a 31-23 wild-card loss to visiting Tampa Bay, completing 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards with a touchdown and an interception and rushing for a score, the report says. The game was played in front of an empty stadium due to restrictions, and teammates noticeably celebrated Heinicke’s emergence, the report notes.
Per the report, Heinicke earned a two-year deal worth $4.75 million after his improbable rise and started 24 games over the next two seasons, replacing injured starters both years. The report says Washington went 12-11-1 in those starts and that Heinicke received a $125,000 bonus after each win in which he played at least 60% of the snaps, a bonus that led him to buy a pair of Air Jordans in the color of the team they had beaten. He left Washington after that span, signed with Atlanta and started four games for the Falcons before joining the Los Angeles Chargers. The report says he played four games with the Chargers in 2024, attempting five passes, and was released in August and unsigned for the rest of the season.
