The Washington Football Team hoped for a Christmas miracle ahead of Tuesday’s Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately for Washington, that miracle didn’t materialize, and journeyman Garrett Gilbert will start at quarterback in a critical NFC East game.
Tom Pelissero and Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network first reported Washington quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen did not clear COVID-19 protocols ahead of the 4:00 p.m. deadline and will remain on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Now official: Washington QBs Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen didn’t clear COVID protocols and are out for tonight’s game, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. It’ll be Garrett Gilbert against the #Eagles.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 21, 2021
This is a tough break for Washington, which had hoped either Heinicke or Allen could clear COVID protocols and start against the Eagles.
Now, Washington’s playoff hopes are in the hands of the 30-year-old Gilbert. An eight-year NFL veteran, Gilbert is on his eighth team. He has one career start, and it came in 2020 for the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception as he nearly led the Cowboys to an upset over then-undefeated Pittsburgh.
Gilbert has completed 23 of 44 passes for 283 yards for his career with one touchdown and one interception. He appeared in one game for Ron Rivera’s Carolina Panthers in 2018 and made five brief appearances for the Cleveland Browns in 2019.