MMQB: WFT ‘Believes in Taylor Heinicke’ Amid Cam Newton Buzz After Fitzpatrick Injury

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

The Washington Football Team is reportedly in no rush to sign Cam Newton after Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a hip injury in the Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported the Washington staff “believes in” Taylor Heinicke, who threw for 122 yards and a touchdown in place of Fitzpatrick on Sunday. The current expectation is that Heinicke would take over as starter with Fitzpatrick out and Kyle Allen will serve as his backup.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Fitzpatrick suffered a hip subluxation and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

In the likely event that Fitzpatrick misses several weeks, Newton is a natural potential replacement due to his longstanding relationship with Washington head coach Ron Rivera. Newton played under Rivera in Carolina from 2011 to 2019, peaking with a 2015 MVP and Super Bowl appearance.

Heinicke is a 28-year-old former undrafted free agent who is playing for his fifth NFL team. He’s thrown only 92 career NFL passes and has not wowed, posting three touchdowns against as many interceptions and averaging 6.4 yards per attempt.

While Washington fans remember his performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Game fondly, his performance was more “good for being an emergency quarterback playing on short notice” rather than actually good.

There’s something to be said for rolling the dice, but Newton is only four years older than Heinicke, and he boasts a far more impressive resume and higher ceiling.