Taylor Heinicke

Taylor Heinicke (born March 15, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Football Team of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Old Dominion. He has been a member of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, who he joined as an undrafted free agent in 2015, as well as the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, and Carolina Panthers. In addition, he was the backup quarterback of the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.

Taylor Heinicke
Heinicke with Washington in 2020
No. 4 – Washington Football Team
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1993-03-15) March 15, 1993
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Collins Hill (Suwanee, Georgia)
College:Old Dominion
Undrafted:2015
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Restricted free agent
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
TD–INT:2–3
Passing yards:467
Completion percentage:62.3
Passer rating:71.7
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

High school career

Heinicke played football under head coach Kevin Reach at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, 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 semifinals.[1] As a senior, Heinicke was named the Old Spice National Player of the Year in the state of Georgia. The award is presented annually to 50 high school varsity football athletes. He was also the Gwinnett 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 44 touchdowns, which is the third-best ever in Georgia, setting Gwinnett County single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. He threw over 300 yards in nine games and also ran for 354 yards on 77 carries 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 show The Ride, which featured high school quarterbacks competing for a spot in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[2]

College career

In 2011, Heinicke accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Old Dominion University (ODU), where he played for the Old Dominion Monarchs football team from 2011 to 2014.[3]

Heinicke became the starter for the Monarchs in 2011. That year, he led the Monarchs to a 10–3 record in the Colonial Athletic Association, but lost in the second round of FCS playoffs against Georgia Southern.[4] He passed for 2,385 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 1 interception, and he ran for 363 yards and 4 touchdowns.[5] He also punted 4 times for 170 yards.[6] Heinicke was named to the All-CAA 3rd team Offense and was the National Freshman Performer of the Year. Old Dominion finished ranked #10 in the Football Championship Subdivision.

In 2012, Heinicke led the Monarchs to an 11–2 record, losing in the playoffs quarterfinals to Georgia Southern.[7] That year, Heinicke passed for an FCS-record 5,076 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.[8] He ran for 470 yards and 11 touchdowns.[9] He additionally punted 11 times for 475 yards.[10] On September 22, 2012, against New Hampshire, Heinicke passed for a Division I-record 730 yards and threw five touchdowns. In 2012, Heinicke was awarded All-American honors, CAA Offensive Player of the Year, and the Walter Payton Award.[11] Old Dominion finished ranked #6 in the FCS.

For the 2013 season, Old Dominion began a transition to Conference 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.[12] During the season, he passed for 4,022 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.[13] He ran for 348 yards and 5 touchdowns.[14] 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.[15] During 2013, Heinicke became just the 18th quarterback from Division I to pass for 10,000 career yards and rush for 1,000. His 2013 season marks placed him in the top ten among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards, passing yards per game and touchdown passes.

For the 2014 season, Heinicke led ODU to a 6–6 record.[16] During the season, he passed for 3,476 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.[17] He ran for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns.[18] He also punted 14 times for a total of 661 yards.[19][20]

Statistics
YearPassingRushing
CmpAttPctYdsY/ATDIntRtgAttYdsAvgTD
201121130768.7%2,3857.8251160.2683635.34
201239857968.7%5,0768.84414162.61264703.711
201334048670.0%4,0228.3338158.6933483.75
201428945763.2%3,4767.63016141.8801391.72
Career[21]1,2381,82967.7%14,9598.213239155.93671,3203.622

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeight40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jump
6 ft 0 in
(1.83 m)		 214 lb
(97 kg)		 4.62 s1.59 s2.55 s4.21 s6.96 s35 in
(0.89 m)		10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)
All values from Pro Day[22]

Minnesota Vikings

Heinicke went undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, but signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent.[23] He competed against Mike Kafka to back up Vikings starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater along with Shaun Hill. Kafka would get injured and was placed on injured reserve, making way for Heinicke to be the third string quarterback.[24]

On September 3, 2016, Heinicke was placed on the reserve/NFI list with an off-the-field injury suffered between minicamp and training camp.[25] He was activated to the active roster on November 8, 2016.[26]

On September 2, 2017, Heinicke was waived/injured by the Vikings and was placed on the injured reserve.[27] He was released with an injury settlement on September 11.[28]

New England Patriots

On September 23, 2017, Heinicke was signed to the New England Patriots' practice squad.[29] He was released on October 9, 2017.[30]

Houston Texans

On November 29, 2017, Heinicke was signed to the Houston Texans' practice squad.[31] He was promoted to the active roster on December 15, 2017, to back up T. J. Yates following an injury to Tom Savage.[32] On December 25, 2017, Heinicke made his NFL debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers after Yates suffered a possible concussion. However, after completing his only pass attempt, Heinicke suffered a concussion and was replaced by Yates, who had just passed the concussion protocol.[33][34] On April 13, 2018, Heinicke was waived by the Texans.[35]

Carolina Panthers

On April 16, 2018, Heinicke was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers.[36] During the 2018 season he appeared in six games with the Panthers including being named starter for Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons after starter Cam Newton was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.[37] In his start against the Atlanta Falcons, Heinicke went 33 for 53 for 274 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. During the game he suffered an elbow injury and was replaced at quarterback by Kyle Allen.[38] His injury was significant enough that he was placed on injured reserve for the Panthers final game of the year.[39]

On March 12, 2019, Heinicke re-signed with the Panthers.[40] He was released during final roster cuts on August 30, 2019.[41]

St. Louis BattleHawks

Heinicke was allocated to the St. Louis BattleHawks before the 2020 XFL Draft on November 22, 2019.[42] However, he did not see the field during the season and recorded no statistics and had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[43]

Washington Football Team
Heinicke in the 2020–21 Wild Card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On December 8, 2020, Heinicke signed with the practice squad of the Washington Football Team.[44] Prior to joining them, he was in the process of finishing his engineering degree at Old Dominion.[45] He was promoted to their active roster on December 19.[46] He played his first game for the team in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers after starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins was benched in the fourth quarter. Heinicke completed 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown during the 20–13 loss.[47] Heinicke started the team's Wild Card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Alex Smith was ruled out with calf soreness.[48] There, Heinicke completed 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards, threw a touchdown alongside an interception, and rushed for a touchdown in a 31–23 loss.[49][50]

References
  1. Burns, Gabriel. "Former Collins Hill star Taylor Heinicke makes NFL debut". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  2. "'The Ride' sets Rice, Old Dominion quarterbacks on collision course in Saturday's matchup". www.houstonchronicle.com. September 19, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  3. "Taylor Heinicke NCAA FB Stats – Season & Career Statistics". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  4. "2011 Regular Season Old Dominion Monarchs Team Passing Game Log". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  5. "2011 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Passing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  6. "2011 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Kicking Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  7. "2012 Regular Season Old Dominion Monarchs Team Passing Game Log". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  8. "2012 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Passing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  9. "2012 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Rushing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  10. "2012 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Kicking Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  11. Grant, Andy. "Old Dominion's Heinicke captures 2012 Walter Payton Award". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  12. "2013 Regular Season Old Dominion Monarchs Team Passing Game Log". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  13. "2013 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Passing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  14. "2013 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Rushing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  15. "2013 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Kicking Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  16. "2014 Regular Season Old Dominion Monarchs Team Passing Game Log". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  17. "2014 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Passing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  18. "2014 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Rushing Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  19. "2014 Old Dominion Monarchs Player Kicking Stats". www.foxsports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  20. "Taylor Heinicke – Old Dominion Monarchs". stats.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  21. "Taylor Heinicke". foxsports.com. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  22. http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=113555&draftyear=2015&genpos=QB
  23. Tomasson, Chris (May 5, 2015). "Vikings: Long story short, Taylor Heinicke sure he can be NFL QB". Twin Cities. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  24. Burns, Gabriel. "Former Collins Hill star Taylor Heinicke makes NFL debut". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  25. "Vikings Announce Roster Moves, Set 53-Man Roster". Vikings.com. September 3, 2016. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  26. Peters, Craig (November 8, 2016). "Vikings Activate Taylor Heinicke, Waive MyCole Pruitt". Vikings.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  27. "Vikings Announce Roster Moves, Set Roster". Vikings.com. September 2, 2017. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  28. Broome, Anthony (September 11, 2017). "Taylor Heinicke officially released prior to game vs. Saints". 247Sports.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  29. "Patriots sign QB Taylor Heinicke to the Practice Squad; Release WR DeMarcus Ayer from the Practice Squad". Patriots.com. September 23, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  30. "Patriots make changes to the practice squad". Patriots.com. October 9, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018.
  31. "Texans add to the practice squad; waive Houston". HoustonTexans.com. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  32. "TRANSACTIONS: Texans sign QB Taylor Heinicke". HoustonTexans.com. December 16, 2017. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018.
  33. Barshop, Sarah (December 25, 2017). "Texans QBs T.J. Yates, Taylor Heinicke both checked for concussions". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  34. "Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans – December 25th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  35. "TRANSACTIONS: Texans claim Matt Lengel". HoustonTexans.com. April 13, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  36. Voth, Bill (April 16, 2018). "QB Taylor Heinicke claimed off waivers". Panthers.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  37. Strickland, Bryan (December 19, 2018). "Taylor Heinicke to start in place of Cam Newton versus Falcons". Panthers.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  38. Rodrigue, Jourdan (December 24, 2018). "It was Taylor Heinicke's turn to take a beating for Panthers. But that has to stop". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  39. Henson, Max (December 26, 2018). "Panthers place Taylor Heinicke on IR, sign Garrett Gilbert". Panthers.com.
  40. Strickland, Bryan (March 12, 2019). "Taylor Heinicke signs one-year contract". Panthers.com.
  41. Henson, Max (August 30, 2019). "Panthers announce first wave of 2019 roster cuts". Panthers.com. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  42. "Meet the 3 new XFL quarterbacks". www.xfl.com.
  43. Condotta, Bob (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue". SeattleTimes.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  44. Winkler, Adam (December 8, 2020). "Washington signs former Old Dominion QB Taylor Heinicke to practice squad". WTKR. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  45. Patra, Kevin (December 28, 2020). "Taylor Heinicke replaces Haskins in loss after postponing college exams at ODU to join Washington". NFL.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  46. "Washington Signs QB Taylor Heinicke From Practice Squad, Releases WR Jeff Badet". WashingtonFootball.com. December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  47. "Washington benches QB Dwayne Haskins after multi-turnover day in loss to Panthers". NFL.com. December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  48. "Washington to start QB Taylor Heinicke vs. Bucs; Alex Smith inactive". NFL.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  49. Smith, Michael David (January 10, 2021). "Taylor Heinicke believes he proved he belongs in the NFL". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  50. "Washington vs. Buccaneers score: Taylor Heinicke's upset bid falls short, as Tom Brady and the Bucs advance". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
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