Commander Country

Commanders Keep or Cut Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke?

Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke face uncertain futures this offseason. Will they stay with the Washington Commanders?

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The Washington Commanders will have to re-shuffle the deck at the quarterback position this offseason if they want to return to the playoffs.

After finishing 8-8-1, the Commanders finished last place in the uber-competitive NFC East and saw all three of their rivals make the Divisional Round, including the Philadelphia Eagles, who will play in next week's Super Bowl.

ESPN simulated the offseason and how the quarterback carousel will work for the offseason, predicting that the Commanders will re-sign Taylor Heinicke to a one-year deal while cutting Carson Wentz.

Given the fact that Wentz carries a cap hit of over $26 million and he went just 2-5 as the starter this past season, cutting him is an easy decision.

The Commanders offered Heinicke a $6 million contract with a $3 million signing bonus and the rest of the money incentive-based.

"Washington wants to give Howell a shot to be the starter, but Heinicke provides insurance, especially if it continues with a similar system," ESPN writes. "It's a one-year deal, and with uncertainty about ownership, there's no reason to push money into the future on a backup QB. Heinicke likes Howell quite a bit, so he'd be fine backing him up or starting if necessary."

Ultimately, despite the slew of veterans possibly looking for a new home this offseason, ESPN predicts that the Commanders will ride with Heinicke and Howell again in 2023, in hopes that things will change. 

Giving Howell more of an opportunity could be the answer, but it comes with a lot of risk. And the decisions at the quarterback position could decide whether head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew stay with the Commanders beyond the 2023 season.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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