Former Vikings Quarterback Announces Retirement
A year ago, the Minnesota Vikings signed undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer as a developmental player. The goal was for him to eventually grow into the backup role. Due to J.J. McCarthy’s and Carson Wentz’s injury problems throughout the season, he was suddenly asked to step onto the field.
The Vikings still hope he develops behind the scenes into a long-time NFL QB2. Possibly the blueprint for that career arc could be a former Vikings passer, Taylor Heinicke, who has now announced his retirement from the NFL.
ESPN’s John Keim wrote last week, “Quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who became a fan favorite during his two-plus seasons with the Washington Commanders, announced the end of an improbable NFL career Thursday. Heinicke, 33, posted a message to Instagram thanking those who supported him throughout his seven-year NFL career in which he spent time with seven franchises — appearing in games for five of them.”
The signal-caller noted on Instagram: “Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would’ve been able to live this life… Excited for this next chapter of my life.”
Heinicke’s NFL journey began in 2015, when the Old Dominion QB signed with the Vikings. He passed for nearly 15,000 yards in college, scoring 132 passing touchdowns and another 22 on the ground. Fascinating is the fact that he punted 42 times in college.
After an impressive first preseason, the Vikings kept him around as a depth quarterback for the 2015 season, but injuries derailed his following two seasons, including a foot injury sustained by attempting to break into his own apartment.
He was ultimately released in September of the 2017 season and his odyssey began. His career included stints with the New England Patriots (2017), Houston Texans (2017), Carolina Panthers (2018), St. Louis Battlehawks (2020), Washington Commanders (2020-2022), Atlanta Falcons (2023) and Los Angeles Chargers (2024).
His NFL debut took place in 2017. He attempted one pass for the Texans. After one start with the Panthers in 2018, he couldn’t find a new employer in 2019 and decided to take his talent to the XFL, but never appeared in a game.
The Commanders added him late in the 2020 season and he actually got into a game that year and had a gutsy playoff performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who would go on to win the championship that year. Heinicke scored a pair of touchdowns and was responsible for 352 yards in the one-score loss.
Keim summarized the remarkable circumstances of that month: “When Washington called him, Heinicke had been sleeping on his sister’s couch in Atlanta and was taking online classes to complete his degree at Old Dominion. His previous experience was serving as a backup in the XFL in 2019. A month after arriving in Washington, he started a 31-23 wild-card round playoff loss to visiting Tampa Bay, which went on to win the Super Bowl.”
His big season arrived a year later, as he started 15 games in place of the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. He guided his squad to a 7-8 record, throwing for 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, establishing himself as a decent backup quarterback.
In 2022, he started another nine games with Carson Wentz fracturing a finger, adding another 12 passing scores and six interceptions in a 5-3-1 effort. His next stop in Atlanta required him to start four more games, including the legendary Dobbs-mania contest versus the Vikings.
His last NFL experience came in 2024 when he attempted a handful of passes.
At 33, the journeyman calls it a career. Heinicke started 29 of the 42 games he appeared in, throwing for 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.