Taylor Heinicke is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015 after playing college football at Old Dominion. Heinicke has played for several teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, and the St. Louis BattleHawks (XFL).
March 15, 1993: Birth of Taylor Heinicke
Taylor Heinicke was born on March 15, 1993.
2011: Heinicke's Freshman Year at Old Dominion
In 2011, Taylor Heinicke started his college football career at Old Dominion University. He led the Monarchs to a 10-3 record.
September 22, 2012: Heinicke Sets Division I Passing Record
On September 22, 2012, Taylor Heinicke set a Division I record by passing for 730 yards and five touchdowns against New Hampshire.
2013: Heinicke Achieves Career Milestones
During the 2013 season, Taylor Heinicke became the 18th quarterback in Division I history to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. He also ranked among the top FBS quarterbacks in passing yards and touchdowns.
2014: Heinicke's Final College Season
In his final college season in 2014, Taylor Heinicke passed for 3,476 yards and 30 touchdowns while playing for Old Dominion University.
2014: Heinicke's Senior Year at Old Dominion
Taylor Heinicke played his final season of college football at Old Dominion University in 2014.
2015: Heinicke Enters the NFL
In 2015, after going undrafted, Taylor Heinicke signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent.
2015: Heinicke Joins the Vikings
Taylor Heinicke entered the NFL in 2015 as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings.
September 3, 2016: Heinicke Placed on Reserve/NFI List
Taylor Heinicke was placed on the reserve/NFI list due to an off-the-field injury on September 3, 2016.
November 8, 2016: Heinicke Returns to Active Roster
On November 8, 2016, Taylor Heinicke was activated to the Vikings' active roster after recovering from his injury.
September 2, 2017: Heinicke Waived by Vikings
On September 2, 2017, the Minnesota Vikings waived Taylor Heinicke with an injury designation.
September 23, 2017: Heinicke Joins Patriots Practice Squad
Taylor Heinicke joined the practice squad of the New England Patriots on September 23, 2017.
October 9, 2017: Heinicke Released from Patriots
Taylor Heinicke's time with the New England Patriots ended when he was released on October 9, 2017.
November 29, 2017: Heinicke Signs with Texans Practice Squad
Taylor Heinicke signed with the practice squad of the Houston Texans on November 29, 2017.
December 15, 2017: Heinicke Promoted to Texans Active Roster
Taylor Heinicke was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster of the Houston Texans on December 15, 2017.
December 25, 2017: Heinicke's NFL Debut and Injury
Taylor Heinicke made his NFL debut for the Houston Texans on December 25, 2017, against the Pittsburgh Steelers but suffered a concussion during the game.
April 13, 2018: Heinicke Waived by Texans
The Houston Texans waived Taylor Heinicke on April 13, 2018.
April 16, 2018: Heinicke Claimed by Panthers
Taylor Heinicke was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers on April 16, 2018.
March 12, 2019: Heinicke Re-signs with Panthers
Taylor Heinicke re-signed with the Carolina Panthers on March 12, 2019.
August 30, 2019: Heinicke Released by Panthers
The Carolina Panthers released Taylor Heinicke on August 30, 2019.
November 22, 2019: Heinicke Joins the XFL
Taylor Heinicke joined the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL on November 22, 2019.
April 2020: XFL Suspends Operations
Taylor Heinicke's time in the XFL was cut short when the league suspended operations in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
December 8, 2020: Heinicke Signs with Washington
Taylor Heinicke signed with the practice squad of the Washington Football Team on December 8, 2020.
2020: Heinicke's Playoff Debut with Washington
In 2020, Taylor Heinicke stepped in for an injured Alex Smith during a playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
December 17, 2021: Placed on COVID-19 Reserve List
On December 17, 2021, Taylor Heinicke was placed on the Washington Football Team's COVID-19 reserve list, causing him to miss the Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
2021: Heinicke Sets NFL Record
In 2021, Taylor Heinicke became the starting quarterback for Washington after Ryan Fitzpatrick's injury. He set an NFL record for most completions in a quarterback's first three starts.
2021: Heinicke's Breakout Season with Washington
In 2021, Taylor Heinicke had a breakout season with the Washington Football Team, becoming their starting quarterback and leading them to victory in several games.
2022: Backup Quarterback and Spot Starts
At the start of the 2022 NFL season, Heinicke was the backup quarterback behind Carson Wentz. He became the starter when Wentz was injured, leading the Commanders to victory against the Packers and achieving a franchise milestone with the 3,000th touchdown pass. He had further starts and a notable performance against the Colts before returning to the backup role.
2022: Heinicke Starts Again for Washington
Taylor Heinicke started the majority of the 2022 season for Washington due to Carson Wentz's injury.
March 16, 2023: Signs with Atlanta Falcons
On March 16, 2023, Taylor Heinicke signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, his hometown team, to serve as the backup quarterback behind Desmond Ridder.
November 20, 2023: Back to Backup Role
On November 20, 2023, after recovering from a hamstring injury, Arthur Smith announced that Taylor Heinicke would return to a backup role behind Desmond Ridder for the Falcons' Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints.