Commanders Ex Taylor Heinicke 'Heartbroken' to Leave Washington
Taylor Heinicke is on a new path in his NFL career after leaving the Washington Commanders to sign with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week.
The move ends his three-year stint in Washington, where he became a fan favorite after his playoff performance two years ago against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From that moment on, Heinicke built a home in Washington, a place he didn't look forward to leaving. In fact, Heinicke revealed that he was planning to re-sign with the Commanders earlier this week, but talks eventually fizzled when the Falcons offered him a better deal.
"It was very tough," Heinicke said about leaving Washington. "I feel like that's a home for me. I built a lot of great relationships there. There are a lot of great memories there. They gave me my second chance at football. I'm going from one home to another so it's a pretty easy process but I'd be lying to you not to say I was a little heartbroken to leave those people up there."
Heinicke played his high school ball 45 minutes away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, igniting a homecoming for the 30-year-old. But home is where the heart is, and Heinicke had his heart in Washington. But the money and opportunity to return home and play for his hometown team was too good to pass up.
Heinicke will compete for the starting job in Atlanta next to second-year pro Desmond Ridder, where he hopes to make even more memories with the Falcons.
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