Commanders Ex Taylor Heinicke 'Heartbroken' to Leave Washington

Taylor Heinicke signed with the Atlanta Falcons this week after three years with the Washington Commanders. But the decision wasn't easy for the cult hero quarterback.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 17, 2023

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Washington Commanders

Taylor Heinicke is on a new path in his NFL career after leaving the Washington Commanders to sign with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week.

The move ends his three-year stint in Washington, where he became a fan favorite after his playoff performance two years ago against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

From that moment on, Heinicke built a home in Washington, a place he didn't look forward to leaving. In fact, Heinicke revealed that he was planning to re-sign with the Commanders earlier this week, but talks eventually fizzled when the Falcons offered him a better deal.

"It was very tough," Heinicke said about leaving Washington. "I feel like that's a home for me. I built a lot of great relationships there. There are a lot of great memories there. They gave me my second chance at football. I'm going from one home to another so it's a pretty easy process but I'd be lying to you not to say I was a little heartbroken to leave those people up there."

Heinicke played his high school ball 45 minutes away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, igniting a homecoming for the 30-year-old. But home is where the heart is, and Heinicke had his heart in Washington. But the money and opportunity to return home and play for his hometown team was too good to pass up.

Heinicke will compete for the starting job in Atlanta next to second-year pro Desmond Ridder, where he hopes to make even more memories with the Falcons.

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Published Mar 17, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.