FedEx Field was a good place to be for fans of the Washington Commanders on Sunday after the home team blew out the Dallas Cowboys, 26-6, in the season finale. In addition, it was perhaps the final game of Daniel Snyder’s 23-year tenure as owner.
Lost in the excitement of Sunday’s win was quarterback Taylor Heinicke looking emotional as he left FedEx Field. Heinicke, who burst onto the scene in the Jan. 2021 wild-card game, nearly leading Washington to an upset over the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becomes a free agent in March.
Over the last two seasons, Heinicke would replace injured quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Carson Wentz, starting 24 games and going 12-11-1 as the starting quarterback. Head coach Ron Rivera benched Heinicke during a Week 16 loss to the 49ers. Rivera turned back to Wentz in Week 17, and the Commanders lost to the Cleveland Browns, 24-10, and were eliminated from postseason contention.
When Wentz went down in Week 6, Heinicke took over in Week 7 and Washington looked like a different team. The Commanders would win five of their next six games with Heinicke under center and moved into the playoff picture before faltering over the final month.
Throughout the season, Heinicke remained supportive of Wentz and rookie Sam Howell, who made his first career start Sunday in the win over Dallas.
After the game, reporters found Heinicke, who discussed his emotions about leaving FedEx Field.
“Yeah, I was a little emotional walking off the field today,” Heinicke told reporters. “It might be my last time that I walk off that field in a Commanders’ uniform. You know, to go back and see where I was, to now, just very blessed. They gave me an opportunity, they believed in me and made some really great memories here. So, it’s a little bit of an emotional time, but, again, very happy for Sam. He played a helluva game. Very happy for him”
Looking back, were there any specific memories that come to mind?
“The one that comes to mind is that dive against Tampa,” Heinicke answered. “I think that was the coolest one, the coolest memory I’ve had here. That was kind of the play that kept me here for the last two years, and, again, that one game, they believed in me after that and threw me in there the last two years. Made some great memories, but again, that might be the last time I walk off the field in a Commanders’ uniform, who knows, so it was emotional.”
Heinicke has endeared himself to the Washington fan base over the last two years. It isn’t known if the Commanders want Heinicke back in a backup role — they should. But he certainly sounded like a man who felt his time in Washington was coming to an end.