_(cropped).jpg) Heinicke in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1993-03-15)March 15, 1993 (age 32) Lawrenceville, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Collins Hill (Suwanee, Georgia) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Old Dominion (2011–2014) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2015: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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Taylor Heinicke (/ˈhaɪnɪki/HIGH-nih-kee; born March 15, 1993) is an American professionalfootballquarterback. He playedcollege football for theOld Dominion Monarchs and signed with theMinnesota Vikings as anundrafted free agent in 2015. Heinicke has also been a member of theNew England Patriots,Houston Texans,Carolina Panthers,Washington Football Team / Commanders,Atlanta Falcons, andLos Angeles Chargers of the NFL.
For three consecutive seasons while with Washington, Heinicke saw play. In 2020, he replaced an injuredAlex Smith during a Wild Card playoff game against theTampa Bay Buccaneers. Heinicke later started most of the 2021 season following an injury toRyan Fitzpatrick, setting the NFL record for most completions by a quarterback in his first three starts. He also started the majority of the 2022 season after an injury toCarson Wentz. Heinicke has been cited as anunderdog by teammates, fans, and the media due to his ability to lead teams to wins, despite a perceived lack of size and natural arm talent.[1][2][3]
Taylor Heinicke was born on March 15, 1993, inLawrenceville, Georgia. His father is Brett Heinicke.[4] Heinicke playedfootball under head coach Kevin Reach atCollins Hill High School inLawrenceville, Georgia, where he was an all-state selection as a junior after guiding Collins Hill to a 10–4 record and a trip to the Class AAAAA semi-finals.[5] As a senior, Heinicke was named the Old Spice National Player of the Year in the state ofGeorgia. The award is presented annually to 50 high schoolvarsity football athletes. He was also theGwinnett Daily Post's Offensive Player of the Year after his record season when he threw for 4,218 yards, the second most in state history, and 44touchdowns, which is the third-best ever in Georgia, settingGwinnett County single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. Heinicke threw for over 300 yards in nine games and also ran for 354 yards on 77carries along with a pair of touchdowns. Following his senior season, Heinicke was invited to play at the North/South All-Star Football Classic, where he collected 254 yards and three touchdowns en route to MVP honors after helping the North to a 22–0 victory over the South. He appeared on the reality TV showThe Ride, which featured high school quarterbacks competing for a spot in theU.S. Army All-American Bowl.[6]
In 2011, Heinicke accepted an athletic scholarship to attendOld Dominion University (ODU), where he played for theMonarchs from 2011 to 2014.[7] As a freshman, Heinicke led the Monarchs to a 10–3 record in theColonial Athletic Association (CAA) before losing in the second round of theFCS playoffs againstGeorgia Southern.[8] He passed for 2,385 yards, 25 touchdowns, and aninterception, and he ran for 363 yards and four touchdowns.[9] Heinicke also punted four times for 170 yards.[10] He was named to the All-CAA third-team and was the National Freshman Performer of the Year.[11]
In 2012, Heinicke led the Monarchs to an 11–2 record, losing in theplayoffs quarterfinals, again to Georgia Southern.[12] That year, Heinicke passed for an FCS-record 5,076 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.[13] He ran for 470 yards and 11 touchdowns.[14] Heinicke also punted 11 times for 475 yards.[15] On September 22, 2012, againstNew Hampshire, he passed for aDivision I-record 730 yards and threw five touchdowns. Following the postseason loss, he was awardedAll-American honors, CAA Offensive Player of the Year, and theWalter Payton Award.[16][17]
For the 2013 season, Old Dominion began a transition toConference USA, meaning for the 2013 season, ODU was an independent team. Despite this, Heinicke led ODU to an 8–4 record against mostly FCS opponents.[18] During the season, he passed for 4,022 yards, 33 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.[19] Heinicke ran for 348 yards and 5 touchdowns.[20] He also punted 13 times for a total of 539 yards, also kicking the longest punt on the team for the season of 61 yards.[21] In 2013, Heinicke became just the 18th quarterback fromDivision I to pass for 10,000 career yards andrush for 1,000. His 2013 season marks placed him in the top ten amongFBS quarterbacks in passing yards, passing yards per game and touchdown passes.
For the 2014 season, Heinicke led ODU to a 6–6 record.[22] During the season, he passed for 3,476 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.[23] Heinicke ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns.[24] He also punted 14 times for a total of 661 yards.[25][26]
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2011 | Old Dominion | 9 | 8 | 6–2 | 211 | 307 | 68.7 | 2,385 | 7.8 | 25 | 1 | 160.2 | 68 | 363 | 5.3 | 4 | |
| 2012 | Old Dominion | 13 | 13 | 11–2 | 398 | 579 | 68.7 | 5,076 | 8.8 | 44 | 14 | 162.6 | 126 | 470 | 3.7 | 11 | |
| 2013 | Old Dominion | 12 | 12 | 8–4 | 340 | 486 | 70.0 | 4,022 | 8.3 | 33 | 8 | 158.6 | 93 | 348 | 3.7 | 5 | |
| 2014 | Old Dominion | 12 | 12 | 6–6 | 289 | 457 | 63.2 | 3,476 | 7.6 | 30 | 16 | 141.8 | 80 | 139 | 1.7 | 2 | |
| Career | 46 | 45 | 31–14 | 1,238 | 1,829 | 67.7 | 14,959 | 8.2 | 132 | 39 | 155.9 | 367 | 1,320 | 3.6 | 22 | ||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+3⁄8 in (1.84 m) | 214 lb (97 kg) | 29 in (0.74 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.62 s | 1.59 s | 2.55 s | 4.21 s | 6.96 s | 35 in (0.89 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | ||
| All values fromPro Day[27] | ||||||||||||
Heinicke went undrafted in the2015 NFL draft, but signed with theMinnesota Vikings as anundrafted free agent.[28] He competed against veteransMike Kafka andShaun Hill to back up Vikings' starting quarterbackTeddy Bridgewater. Kafka was placed oninjured reserve, making way for Heinicke to be the third-string quarterback.[5]
On September 3, 2016, Heinicke was placed on the reserve/NFI list with an off-the-field injury suffered betweenminicamp andtraining camp.[29] He was activated to the active roster on November 8.[30]
On September 2, 2017, Heinicke was waived/injured by the Vikings and was placed on the injured reserve list.[31] He was released with an injury settlement nine days later.[32]
On September 23, 2017, Heinicke was signed to thepractice squad of theNew England Patriots.[33] He was released on October 9.[34]
On November 29, 2017, Heinicke was signed to theHouston Texans' practice squad.[35] He was promoted to the active roster on December 15 to back upT. J. Yates, following an injury toTom Savage.[36] Ten days later, Heinicke made his NFL debut against thePittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day after Yates suffered a head injury. However, after completing his only pass attempt, Heinicke suffered a concussion and was replaced by Yates, who had just passed the concussion protocol.[37][38]
On April 13, 2018, Heinicke was released by the Texans.[39]
On April 16, 2018, Heinicke was claimed off waivers by theCarolina Panthers.[40] During the 2018 season, he appeared in six games for the Panthers, including being named starter for Week 16 against theAtlanta Falcons. Starting quarterbackCam Newton was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.[41] In his first start against the Falcons, Heinicke completed 33-of-53 passes for 274 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions before leaving the eventual 24–10 loss with an elbow injury.[42] His injury was significant enough that he was placed on injured reserve for the regular-season finale.[43] RookieKyle Allen started that week.
On March 12, 2019, Heinicke re-signed with the team.[44] On August 30, he was released by the Panthers during final roster cuts.[45]
On November 22, 2019, Heinicke was allocated to theSt. Louis BattleHawks of theXFL in a supplemental draft held before the2020 XFL draft.[46] However, he did not see the field during the season and recorded no statistics. Heinicke had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations in April 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[47]
On December 8, 2020, Heinicke was signed to the practice squad of theWashington Football Team.[48] Prior to joining them, he was in the process of finishing his engineering degree at Old Dominion.[49] On December 19, Heinicke was promoted to their active roster.[50] In Week 16 against his former Panthers, he played his first game for the team after starting quarterbackDwayne Haskins was benched in the fourth quarter. Heinicke completed 12-of-19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in the 20–13 loss.[51] Haskins was released the following day andAlex Smith was named starter.
Heinicke started the team'sWild Card Round playoff game against theTampa Bay Buccaneers after Smith was ruled out due to a calf injury.[52] In his second career start, Heinicke completed 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown, during the 31–23 loss.[53][54]
As an impendingrestricted free agent in 2021, Heinicke signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract extension with the team on February 10.[55] In the season opener against theLos Angeles Chargers, he came in to relieve starting quarterbackRyan Fitzpatrick, who left in the second quarter with a hip injury. Heinicke was named the starter after Fitzpatrick was placed on injured reserve following the game.[56] The following week, Heinicke's first start came against theNew York Giants, in which he threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns during a narrow 30–29 victory.[57] After Week 2, Heinicke set an NFL record for the most completions by a quarterback in their first three starts (93).[58]
In Week 10 againstSuper Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Heinicke threw for 256 yards and a touchdown in a 29–19 upset victory.[59] The next week, he played against his former Panthers and recorded 206 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, and three passing touchdowns in a 27–21 road victory.[60] In a Week 14 loss against theDallas Cowboys, Heinicke left the game in the fourth quarter after getting injured on a sack from defensive tackleNeville Gallimore.[61]Kyle Allen, again serving as backup to Heinicke with another team, replaced him. In the loss, the latter went 11-of-25 pass completions for 122 yards, one interception, and one touchdown.[62] On December 17, 2021, Heinicke and Allen were placed on the team's COVID-19 reserve list and forced to miss the Week 15 game against thePhiladelphia Eagles.[63][64] The team signedGarrett Gilbert in Heinicke's place off theNew England Patriots' practice squad. Gilbert would go on to play in a 29–19 loss. Heinicke was placed back on the active roster on December 23.[65]
At the start of the 2022 season, Heinicke was named the backup behindCarson Wentz. After Wentz was ruled out due to a fractured finger, head coachRon Rivera named Heinicke as the starting quarterback in Week 7.[66] In his season debut, Heinicke threw for 200 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during a narrow 23–21 victory over theGreen Bay Packers.[67] His nine-yard touchdown caught byAntonio Gibson was the 3,000th touchdown in the franchise's history, and the ball was placed in thePro Football Hall of Fame.[68] In Week 8, Heinicke completed 23-of-31 passes for 279 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 17–16 victory over theIndianapolis Colts.[69] The next week, Heinicke threw for 149 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while adding 17 yards on the ground, in a close loss at home to his former Vikings.[70] In Week 10 against the undefeated Eagles atLincoln Financial Field, Heinicke completed 17-of-29 passes for 211 yards, along with one interception, as the Commanders upset the Eagles 32–21.[71] In Week 16 against theSan Francisco 49ers, Heinicke was benched in the fourth quarter as the 49ers led 30–14.[72] He reverted to the backup role after Wentz was reinstated as the team's starting quarterback for Week 17.[73]
On March 16, 2023, Heinicke signed a two-year, $14 million contract with his hometown team, theAtlanta Falcons.[74] Upon signing, he was named the backup for starterDesmond Ridder.
In Week 8 against theTennessee Titans, Heinicke came in relief of Ridder in the second half as the Titans led 14–3 . He recorded 175 passing yards, 14 rushing yards, and a passing touchdown in the 28–23 road loss.[75] On November 1, Falcons' head coachArthur Smith named Heinicke the starting quarterback for the Week 9 game against the Vikings.[76] In Week 10 against theArizona Cardinals, Heinicke suffered a hamstring injury that would pull him out of the game.[77] On November 20, Smith downgraded Heinicke to backup for the Falcons' Week 12 game against theNew Orleans Saints.[78] In Week 16 against the Colts, Heinicke would be reinstated as the team's starting quarterback, completing 23-of-33 pass attempts, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, in the 29–10 victory.[79]
In the 2024 offseason, the Falcons signed free agentKirk Cousins and selectedMichael Penix Jr. in the first round of the2024 NFL draft, making Heinicke expendable.
On August 29, 2024, the Falcons traded Heinicke to theLos Angeles Chargers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the2025 NFL draft (Pick 218;Jack Nelson).[80]
Heinicke spent the season as the primary backup toJustin Herbert, appearing in four games and only attempting five passes during the 2024 season.[81][82]
On March 13, 2025, Heinicke signed a one-year, $6.2 million contract extension with the Chargers.[83] On August 26, Heinicke was released by the Chargers as part of final roster cuts.[84]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2015 | MIN | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | MIN | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | HOU | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 108.3 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | CAR | 6 | 1 | 0–1 | 35 | 57 | 61.4 | 320 | 5.6 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 60.6 | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | WAS | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 19 | 63.2 | 137 | 7.2 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 102.3 | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | WAS | 16 | 15 | 7–8 | 321 | 494 | 65.0 | 3,419 | 6.9 | 73 | 20 | 15 | 85.9 | 60 | 313 | 5.2 | 38 | 1 | 38 | 278 | 7 | 2 |
| 2022 | WAS | 9 | 9 | 5–3–1 | 161 | 259 | 62.2 | 1,859 | 7.2 | 61 | 12 | 6 | 89.6 | 28 | 96 | 3.4 | 15 | 1 | 19 | 141 | 7 | 5 |
| 2023 | ATL | 5 | 4 | 1–3 | 74 | 136 | 54.4 | 890 | 6.5 | 75 | 5 | 4 | 74.7 | 15 | 124 | 8.3 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 47 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | LAC | 4 | 0 | — | 3 | 5 | 60.0 | 28 | 5.6 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 75.4 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 42 | 29 | 13–15–1 | 607 | 971 | 62.5 | 6,663 | 6.9 | 75 | 39 | 28 | 84.1 | 114 | 608 | 5.3 | 38 | 3 | 72 | 534 | 16 | 7 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2015 | MIN | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | WAS | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 26 | 44 | 59.1 | 306 | 7.0 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 78.4 | 6 | 46 | 7.7 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | LAC | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| Career | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 26 | 44 | 59.1 | 306 | 7.0 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 78.4 | 6 | 46 | 7.7 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 0 | |
