Fans of the Washington Commanders always love the backup quarterback. It’s been that way since the early 1970s when franchise legends Billy Kilmer and Sonny Jurgensen were in town.
Recent quarterback controversies were divisive among the fan base, such as Robert Griffin III vs. Kirk Cousins, both of whom were selected in the 2012 NFL draft.
Does Washington have a new quarterback controversy on its hands with Taylor Heinicke vs. Carson Wentz?
As of now, probably not. However, things can change quickly if Heinicke can rally Washington’s struggling offense in his first start of the 2022 season in Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers. Wentz suffered a fractured ring finger on his right throwing hand and is out for at least the next four weeks.
Heinicke isn’t your typical backup quarterback. He already has his fans amongst Washington’s fans. While many fans loved Heinicke, they viewed him as a high-quality NFL backup. But there are others who felt Heinicke could do more if he were surrounded by better skill players.
After starting 15 games last season, Heinicke gets another shot, beginning with the Packers. This time, he’ll have more than just Terry McLaurin. The Commanders now have first-round pick Jahan Dotson [questionable for Week 7] and a healthy Curtis Samuel.
In addition, Logan Thomas is back [although he is out in Week 7], and running back J.D. McKissic is healthy. The Commanders also have a pair of young tight ends, Cole Turner and Armani Rogers, and rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr.
As it became apparent that Heinicke would be the quarterback for Washington in the short term, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post spoke with several of Heinicke’s teammates, who showered him with praise.
“The kid is a gamer,” tight end Logan Thomas said. “I think everyone knows that.”
What about Dotson?
“I always say he’s the coolest quarterback in the room with the most swag,” Dotson said. “I’m big on sneakers. His sneaker game, day to day he’s bringing in some cool dunks and stuff like that.”
McLaurin has always praised Heinicke, and it was no different over the past week.
“Whether he’s making plays down the field, extending the plays with his legs, diving for pylons, he’s a guy who’s always just going to leave it out on the field,” McLaurin said. “Anybody who’s on this team is going to respect that.”
Defensive end Chase Young, like McLaurin, has long been a fan of Heinicke.
“We just know he’s going to go hard. He’s a dawg,” Young said. “Relentless. The dude, you can’t really break him. And he’s good. S—, he can f—ing play.”
Others heaped praise on Heinicke, too. But you get the point. This team believes in him, and it’s not lip service.
If Heinicke can go out and help the Commanders defeat the Packers, the Heinicke hype train will be at an all-time high. Again.
All quotes were courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.