Can Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke Win Starting Job Over Carson Wentz?

If Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke continues to perform well and the wins keep coming, could the team name him the full-time starter again after Carson Wentz returns from injury?

Jeremy Brener | Oct 25, 2022

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Now that two quarterbacks have started for the Washington Commanders this season, the door is open for a controversy down the line.

Especially after Taylor Heinicke led the 2-4 Commanders to a win after trailing 14-3 early in the game.

Carson Wentz started out strong this season, but his last three games all looked like there was some juice missing. Heinicke found that juice Sunday.

There was a sense of urgency that hadn't been seen in weeks for the Washington offense, and Heinicke had it all along. Wentz is set to return from Injured Reserve sometime before December, but if Heinicke can play at this level while he is out, should the team revert back to its starter?

The team traded a pair of third-round picks for Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, but as we've seen many times in the NFL, you have to ride the hot hand.

Washington sits one game under .500, and a loss in either of the past two weeks could have resulted in waving the white flag for the year. However, the team is riding this momentum that appears to be spearheaded by Heinicke. However, Rivera isn't looking to make a decision about the quarterbacks at the moment.

"I think this is about playing one game at a time, focusing on one game at a time and when we get to that position, then I'll deal with it,” Rivera said.

And for now, Rivera and the Commanders are focused on Washington, where Heinicke will have the chance to lead the team back to .500 and its third consecutive win.

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Published Oct 25, 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.