Taylor Heinicke Bio
Taylor Heinicke is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Old Dominion Monarchs and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Heinicke has also played for the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Washington Football Team / Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, and Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL. Notably, he became an underdog success story, leading the Washington Football Team to a playoff game and setting an NFL record during his first few starts.
Early Life and Background
Taylor Heinicke was born on March 15, 1993, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. His father is Brett Heinicke. Heinicke played football under head coach Kevin Reach at Collins Hill High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, where he was an all-state selection as a junior after guiding Collins Hill to a 10–4 record and a trip to the Class AAAAA semi-finals. As a senior, Heinicke was named the Old Spice National Player of the Year in the state of Georgia. The award is presented annually to 50 high school varsity football athletes. He was also the Gwinnett Daily Post’s Offensive Player of the Year after his record season when he threw for 4,218 yards, the second most in state history, and 44 touchdowns, which is the third-best ever in Georgia, setting Gwinnett County single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. Heinicke threw for over 300 yards in nine games and also ran for 354 yards on 77 carries along with a pair of touchdowns. Following his senior season, Heinicke was invited to play at the North/South All-Star Football Classic, where he collected 254 yards and three touchdowns en route to MVP honors after helping the North to a 22–0 victory over the South. He appeared on the reality TV show The Ride, which featured high school quarterbacks competing for a spot in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Path to American Football
In 2011, Heinicke accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Old Dominion University (ODU), where he played for the Monarchs from 2011 to 2014. As a freshman, Heinicke led the Monarchs to a 10–3 record in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) before losing in the second round of the FCS playoffs against Georgia Southern. He passed for 2,385 yards, 25 touchdowns, and an interception, and he ran for 363 yards and four touchdowns. Heinicke also punted four times for 170 yards. He was named to the All-CAA third-team and was the National Freshman Performer of the Year. In 2012, Heinicke led the Monarchs to an 11–2 record, losing in the playoffs quarterfinals, again to Georgia Southern. That year, Heinicke passed for an FCS-record 5,076 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He ran for 470 yards and 11 touchdowns. Heinicke also punted 11 times for 475 yards. On September 22, 2012, against New Hampshire, he passed for a Division I-record 730 yards and threw five touchdowns. Following the postseason loss, he was awarded All-American honors, CAA Offensive Player of the Year, the Walter Payton Award, and was named FCS Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. For the 2013 season, Old Dominion began a transition to Conference USA, meaning for the 2013 season, ODU was an independent team. Despite this, Heinicke led ODU to an 8–4 record against mostly FCS opponents. During the season, he passed for 4,022 yards, 33 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Heinicke ran for 348 yards and five touchdowns. He also punted 13 times for a total of 539 yards, also kicking the longest punt on the team for the season of 61 yards. In 2013, Heinicke became just the 18th quarterback from Division I to pass for 10,000 career yards and rush for 1,000. His 2013 season marks placed him in the top ten among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards, passing yards per game, and touchdown passes. For the 2014 season, Heinicke led ODU to a 6–6 record. During the season, he passed for 3,476 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Heinicke ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He also punted 14 times for a total of 661 yards.
Taylor Heinicke Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Heinicke went undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft but signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent. He competed against veterans Mike Kafka and Shaun Hill to back up Vikings’ starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Kafka was placed on injured reserve, making way for Heinicke to be the third-string quarterback. On September 3, 2016, Heinicke was placed on the reserve/NFI list with an off-the-field injury suffered between minicamp and training camp. He was activated to the active roster on November 8. On September 2, 2017, Heinicke was waived/injured by the Vikings and was placed on the injured reserve list. He was released with an injury settlement nine days later. On September 23, 2017, Heinicke was signed to the practice squad of the New England Patriots but was released on October 9. On November 29, 2017, Heinicke was signed to the Houston Texans’ practice squad and was promoted to the active roster on December 15 to back up T. J. Yates, following an injury to Tom Savage. Ten days later, Heinicke made his NFL debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day after Yates suffered a head injury. However, after completing his only pass attempt, Heinicke suffered a concussion and was replaced by Yates. On April 13, 2018, Heinicke was released by the Texans.
Breakthrough (2020–2022)
On April 16, 2018, Heinicke was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers. During the 2018 season, he appeared in six games for the Panthers, including being named starter for Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons. Starting quarterback Cam Newton was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. In his first start against the Falcons, Heinicke completed 33-of-53 passes for 274 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions before leaving the eventual 24–10 loss with an elbow injury. His injury was significant enough that he was placed on injured reserve for the regular-season finale. On December 8, 2020, Heinicke was signed to the practice squad of the Washington Football Team. He was promoted to their active roster on December 19. Heinicke started the team’s Wild Card Round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Smith was ruled out due to a calf injury. In his second career start, Heinicke completed 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown during the 31–23 loss. As an impending restricted free agent in 2021, Heinicke signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract extension with the team on February 10. In the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, he came in to relieve starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who left in the second quarter with a hip injury. Heinicke was named the starter after Fitzpatrick was placed on injured reserve following the game. The following week, Heinicke’s first start came against the New York Giants, in which he threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns during a narrow 30–29 victory. After Week 2, Heinicke set an NFL record for the most completions by a quarterback in their first three starts (93). In Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Heinicke threw for 256 yards and a touchdown in a 29–19 upset victory. The next week, he played against his former Panthers and recorded 206 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, and three passing touchdowns in a 27–21 road victory.
Notable Works and Milestones
Taylor Heinicke’s signature work includes his impressive performances during the playoffs with the Washington Football Team, where he became known as an underdog success story. He set an NFL record for the most completions by a quarterback in their first three starts.
Taylor Heinicke Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Taylor Heinicke has received several notable awards, including the Walter Payton Award, FCS Player of the Year, and CAA Offensive Player of the Year, all in 2012.
Taylor Heinicke Awards Won
Taylor Heinicke has won multiple awards during his career, including the Walter Payton Award, FCS Player of the Year, CAA Offensive Player of the Year, Dudley Award, FCS All-American, and National Freshman Performer of the Year.
Taylor Heinicke Family
Taylor Heinicke’s family includes his father, Brett Heinicke. There are no publicly available details regarding his marital status or children.
Personal Life
Taylor Heinicke has maintained a low profile regarding his personal life. He is known for his dedication to football and has been recognized as an underdog by teammates, fans, and the media due to his ability to lead teams to wins despite a perceived lack of size and natural arm talent.
