A former cult hero has dropped back to pass for the final time.
Ex-Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke announced on Thursday that he is retiring from the NFL after 11 total seasons. Heinicke took to his Instagram page to issue messages of gratitude and added that he was “excited for this next chapter” of his life.
After playing 11 seasons, veteran QB Taylor Heinicke announced he is retiring from the NFL. pic.twitter.com/xfvBEjVQUg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2026
Heinicke went undrafted in 2015 but managed to put together a very respectable career as a journeyman QB. He saw game action for five different NFL teams, but Heinicke’s best years came in Washington, where he played from 2020-23.
The Old Dominion product Heinicke got a playoff start for Washington in 2020 in relief of the injured Alex Smith and then became the starting quarterback in 2021 after an early-season injury to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Overall with Washington, Heinicke started 24 games, going 12-11-1 and throwing for 5,415 yards and 33 total touchdowns.
Heinicke also had a memorable run of producing game-winners for the Commanders, which helped make him a cult hero. He even went viral back in 2022 over his petty moves for every opponent that he beat.
In more recent years, Heinicke had been a backup for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers. But he did not receive another NFL deal after failing to survive preseason cuts by the Chargers in 2025. Heinicke was also in the news a little while back over his vocal support for Donald Trump and is now calling it quits from the NFL at 33 years old.
