Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke Playing For Massive Payday in Final Month
Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke is helping lead the team to a playoff berth, but he's also got something else to play for.
After the season, Heinicke, who turns 30 this offseason, will be a free agent.
Ever since he took over as the starter for an injured Carson Wentz in Week 7, the Commanders have been on a roll, losing just one game since. The team also named Heinicke the starter following its Week 11 win against the Houston Texans.
Heinicke's stats haven't been flashy, but the results have. Washington has gone from 1-4 to 7-5-1, winning six of the last eight games.
Does that warrant a big contract in free agency?
In a year where a quarter of the league's starters will hit free agency, the quarterback market is expected to be wild this spring. And Heinicke could see interest from several teams either looking for a bridge quarterback and/or a trusted veteran. Teams like the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants come to mind. Should Tom Brady want to leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for some reason, that might be a potential landing spot for Heinicke.
There could be teams offering Heinicke a starting role, which means Washington might also have to commit long-term in order for him to stay.
If the season ended today, Heinicke would certainly deserve that. But now is the time to truly start making money. Should Heinicke finish the job and lead the Commanders to the playoffs, it will be hard to not see boatloads of cash being offered to him in free agency ... by multiple teams.
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