Washington Football Team to Start QB Taylor Heinicke Vs. Buccaneers With Alex Smith Inactive

The Washington Football Team will start Taylor Heinicke at quarterback in Saturday's wild-card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced.

Veteran QB Alex Smith is inactive for the playoff tilt due to his persisting calf injury. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Smith sitting out is "a matter of pain tolerance but instead functionality." 

Heinicke, the fourth signal-caller to start for Washington this season, will make his second NFL start and first playoff appearance in Saturday's bout with the Bucs. Rookie Steven Montez—who's yet to play an NFL game—will backup Heinicke.

So who is Taylor Heinicke?

The 27-year-old is a familiar face for head coach Ron Rivera. Heinicke had a stint with the Carolina Panthers during the 2018 season, filling in for a then-injured Cam Newton. He played in six games and threw for 320 total yards, one touchdown and three interceptions that season. 

While he was cut from the team after that season, Rivera did sing Heinicke's praises prior to that decision. His accuracy, intelligence and mobility make him a threat despite not fitting the typical quarterback mold. 

“If people aren’t careful,” coach Ron Rivera said during summer 2019, prior to Heinicke being cut in August, “we’re going to overlook him. We can’t afford to do that.” 

If Washington pulls off the upset, it'll mark the program's first playoff win since the 2005 season when they beat none other than Tampa Bay.