Do Fitzpatrick and Heinicke Really Have 'Equal Chance' As Washington QB?

Washington head coach Ron Rivera is allowing a competition at quarterback.

Saying the word quarterback and the phrase 'Washington Football Team' is bound to cause controversy. There isn't a wrong answer on who should start, but is there a right one as well? 

The man who takes the first snap against Los Angeles will be the most talked-about subject this summer amongst the WFT fanbase. It also is one that's being discussed by head coach Ron Rivera. 

In an interview with The Athletic's Ben Standig, Rivera stated entering training camp, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the presumed starter. That we knew.

Leaving camp? Fitz is going to have to earn the right to call himself QB1 in Landover. 

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"Ryan has the job right now, and it’s his to have," Rivera said. "I’m not gonna say it's his to lose — I think that’s the wrong way to look at things. It’s his to have."  

It's a simple concept when breaking it down: if Fitzpatrick's work can translate from minicamp to training camp, the job is his for Week 1. If he doesn't, there will be a tough decision at hand between the 38-year-old veteran and near-playoff hero Taylor Heinicke. 

And Rivera? He's not throwing Heinicke to the side as QB2. 

"I’m not going to discount Taylor," Rivera said. "The things that Taylor did last year, the momentum he built up as a player, you’ve got to give them equal opportunities and equal chance." 

Fitzpatrick, the now-infamous journeyman of the NFL, is set to begin his 17th season in the league on his ninth different team. Washington, which won seven games and the NFC East title in 2020, needed four quarterbacks and a bit of luck to secure the division.  

On the first official day of NFL free agency, WFT and Fitzpatrick agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal to have him join the club. So far, everything has gone swimmingly between the two parties. 

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Was Fitzpatrick destined to be the starter, or did Rivera bring him in thinking the club's QB was maybe already here? How "equal footing'' was this?

Heinicke stepped in during the team's most important game of the season against Tampa Bay. Washington fell to the eventual Super Bowl champs, but found a player whose heart and skills were worthy of a new deal. 

Does the addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick make Washington the favorite to win the NFC East next season? pic.twitter.com/TRLZsKBSXT

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 16, 2021

Rivera and the staff wasted little time re-signing Heinicke to a two-year, $4.75 million deal before free agency. Rivera, who worked with the 28-year-old in Carolina, can see the upside in his game, along with needed leadership skills. 

"The things that Taylor did last year, the momentum he built up as a player, you've got to give them equal opportunities and equal chance," Rivera told Standig. "And that's what I want to do. I want to create that here. I think it's important. It's important for everybody to see it. Players, coaches. I think that's how you develop your football team." 

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Washington elected to stand pat last April instead of trading up for a quarterback, meaning Rivera has trust in both Fitzpatrick and Heinicke. Keep in mind that Washington also has Kyle Allen, whom Rivera traded a fifth-round pick for last offseason to bring over from Carolina. 

Things will remain quiet until the start of training camp on Richmond. For now, Fitzpatrick will see first-team reps while Heinicke sprinkles in as the No. 2. Perhaps the second week, it'll be a little more sprinkling in.

Only time will tell. 

"Both Ryan and Taylor are two guys that are very vital, very important to us going forward," Rivera said. “So we’ll be watching both those guys and watching their progress very, very closely. I think it’s going to be a very competitive battle. I think both guys want to be the guy. That’s going to be important to us as we go forward."

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