Commanders Have 'Plan' to Bench Taylor Heinicke vs. 49ers, Return to Carson Wentz?

Taylor Heinicke has taken over as the Washington Commanders starting quarterback, but could that change against the San Francisco 49ers?

Jeremy Brener | Dec 24, 2022

Taylor Heinicke is set to start his ninth straight game for the Washington Commanders under center, but he may be on the hot seat.

According to FOX Sports, Ron Rivera has a "plan" that may involve benching Heinicke and going back to original starter Carson Wentz should he struggle against the league's No. 1 defense.

NFL Network is also reporting that the "leash is getting shorter" for Heinicke after poor performances against the New York Giants in the past two games.

Heinicke was named the starter after Wentz underwent finger surgery in Week 7 and took the job after winning four of his first five starts. When Wentz returned, Heinicke kept the starting job, but Heinicke has only come out victorious in one start since the declaration.

Heinicke has thrown for 1,693 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games for the Commanders this season, while Wentz has recorded 1,489 yards and 10 scores against six picks.

With the Commanders on the fringe of a playoff berth, the pressure is on in Washington, and the drastic times may call for drastic measures at the quarterback position.

Heinicke and the Commanders face the 49ers at 4:05 p.m. inside Levi's Stadium, while Wentz waits for another potential opportunity on the sideline.

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Published Dec 24, 2022

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.