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Washington’s season looks a lot different than it did when they hit their bye in Week Nine and quarterback Taylor Heinicke has a lot to do with that change in outlook.
Heinick went 42-of-54 for 462 yards and four touchdowns in wins over Tampa and Carolina that have put Washington on the fringes of the NFC playoff race. During an appearance on 106.7 The Fan, Washington head coach Ron Rivera said that he expects Heinicke to continue “growing and developing” as the rest of the season plays out.
“Let’s not forget he’s only had 11 starts and as he continues to grow and develop, hopefully the offense will come along with him, the team will come along with him,” Rivera said. “We talked about it earlier in the year. What we want from that position is a guy that can manage it and then make plays when he needs to. And this is what this guy does. He’s smart. He understands the game. He’s just a guy that, again, has only had 11 starts and we’ll see how it continues to go.”
Rivera has talked often about the team’s search for a franchise quarterback and said he’s not “closing any doors” when asked about Heinicke possibly remaining the starter beyond this season. The more often Heinicke plays like he did the last two weeks, the more likely it will be that he remains under center in 2022.
