LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: A general view during the Washington Football Team and the Philadelphia Eagles game at FedExField on September 13, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)The Washington Football Team pulled a move on Tuesday that perfectly sums up 2020. After the events of the last week concerning the Baltimore Ravens and COVID-19, it’s actually not the worst idea.
According to Washington Post reporter Nicki Jhabvala, Washington plans to sign quarterback Taylor Heinicke to the practice squad. The organization has told the 27-year-old that he will be the team’s “quarantine quarterback.”
It looks like the NFL has a new position. Heinicke plans to meet with the team, according to the waiver wire.
Washington is expected to sign QB Taylor Heinicke to the practice squad, assuming he clears his COVID-19 testing, with the intent of making him its "quarantine QB," according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Heinicke has a visit scheduled with the team, per the wire.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 1, 2020
According to Jhabvala, Heinicke should fit right in with the Washington Football team. The 27-year-old bounced around the league from 2015 to 2018, seeing time in numerous organizations. Most notably, he played for Norv and Scott Turner in 2015-16, the latter of whom is Washington’s offensive coordinator, and Ron Rivera in 2018.
Heinicke already knows Washington's system and staff well. He played for Norv and Scott Turner first in Minnesota (2015-16) and then again in Carolina (2018), with Ron Rivera as HC.https://t.co/ZpOdGv8ESy
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 1, 2020
Heinicke played for Old Dominion from 2011 to 2014, at one point holding the FCS record for most passing yards in a season. In the NFL, he’s started one game and throw 58 total passes. Most recently, the 27-year-old quarterback played for St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.
At this point, it remains unclear how Heinicke will function within the organization. It’s possible that Washington could stash him completely away from the team in order to limit exposure. He might have access to a private coach or training resources to keep him in NFL shape. The league and the Washington Football team are on new ground with the concept of a “quarantine quarterback”, so it’ll be interesting to see how the experiment plays out.
Heinicke could also pave the way for other teams to pursue deeper quarterback rooms. Already this year, the Philadelphia Eagles signed veteran Josh McCown to the team’s practice squad to serve as an emergency back-up. The Texans eventually signed the 41-year-old off of the Eagles practice squad.
For Heinicke, this could be the opportunity of a life-time if he wants to remain in football.
