The Washington Football Team re-signed Taylor Heinicke but still need to make it a priority in the 2021 offseason to look for another quarterback.
Taylor Heinicke became a legend overnight for the Washington Football Team. In the first round of this year’s NFL Playoffs, Washington went head-to-head with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the eventual Super Bowl winners. Heinicke, who wasn’t even on the roster a few weeks prior, was the starter at quarterback.
Injuries and immaturity paved the way for Heinicke to get the start and, though he wasn’t supposed to be the guy in that moment, he delivered. Yes, Washington lost; but no one was expecting them to win. In fact, most predictions had a defensive struggle that resulted in a narrow Football Team loss or a blowout Tampa Bay win.
Instead, it was a shootout. Washington’s defense did not seem to have an answer for Tampa Bay’s offense. However, the Buccaneers’ defense could not stop Heinicke either. The quarterback ended up completed 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also had six carries for 46 yards and an unforgettable touchdown.
In the end, Heinicke actually had possibly the best game out of any quarterback that faced the Buccaneers in the playoffs. He was rewarded with a two-year deal from Washington this past week — deservedly so. However, it’s an extremely small sample size we’re talking about.
Heinicke still has more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (2) in his career. He earned the right to prove himself — but he still needs to do that. If Washington went into the 2021 season with him as their only quarterback option, things could go south quickly.
Addressing quarterback remains a top need for the Washington Football Team.
The Washington Football Team only went 7-9 in 2020 but they were in the terrible NFC East. But they must capitalize on their current window with an elite defense and burgeoning offensive weapons such as Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson.
Some people might believe that, if Washington isn’t going to win a Super Bowl, they would rather tank for a high draft pick and get a star quarterback that way. That’s easy to say but things don’t always work out that way. Moreover, punting on an entire season hurts the development of assets like McLaurin and Gibson, among many others. It also wastes cheap contracts for guys like Chase Young and Montez Sweat.
Heinicke may be the answer but Washington owes it to themselves to give him competition. Finding another quarterback is a top priority on the 2021 offseason checklist. Matthew Stafford is off the table but, through trade, free agency or the draft, they have options galore.
Via free agency, they would love to lure Dak Prescott to the nation’s capital but that seems unlikely. Other options include Jacoby Brissett, Cam Newton reuniting with Ron Rivera or even Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The trade market offers numerous avenues as well. Deshaun Watson, despite his steep price tag, would be worth it. Both Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota could possibly be had from the Raiders at a reasonable price. Sam Darnold or Gardner Minshew are other possible options.
In the draft, the Football Team has the 19th overall pick. There could be quite a few options and there is the possibility of moving up if they have a player they really want to add to the mix.
Admittedly, none of those options are sure things. All of the free agency options (Prescott aside) have obvious concerns. The trade packages would be costly. And only bringing in a rookie to compete with Heinicke would be risky.
There is also the possibility of bringing back Alex Smith and Kyle Allen. However, Smith’s price tag could signal a departure while Allen’s health for the 2021 season is a concern.
In any case, Heinicke deserved his new contract and Washington Football Team fans should be excited to see what he has to offer in the future. This is a team with a top-tier defense, though, which increases the need to make sure quarterback is solidified. That should be the primary focus of the offseason.