The Washington Commanders have announced that they will start Taylor Heinicke for the final game of the regular season.
The #Commanders are expected to return to Taylor Heinicke as a starter for Sunday’s season finale against the #Cowboys, but rookie QB Sam Howell is also scheduled to play, marking the NFL debut for the fifth-round pick, according to the fountain. Unless plans change, this will be the configuration.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 4, 2023
Rookie quarterback Sam Howell is also expected to play in some capacity. Howell was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of North Carolina.
When Washington decided to start Carson Wentz in a win-or-go-home scenario for the playoffs, it was surprising. Heinicke has been doing a capable job. In his nine starts, Heinicke has a 5-3-1 record on the season. He has thrown for almost 2,000 yards with 12 touchdown passes for 6 interceptions. Most of those starts came when Wentz went down with an injury, but Heinicke eventually took the job from the recently acquired QB.
With their playoff hopes out the door in a loss to the Cleveland Browns, this game against the Dallas Cowboys will be a good time to test the other quarterbacks. The commanders know that Wentz isn’t the long-term answer, and they’ve seen what Taylor Heinicke can do. Perhaps Sam Howell is the best option.
In fact, in a recent turn of events, head coach Ron Rivera has stated that Sam Howell will start in Week 18. A good move to see what the rookie is made of.
#Commanders HC Ron Rivera announced that rookie Sam Howell will start Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 4, 2023
However, if neither seems to work, the Commanders could be in a market for a veteran quarterback. Washington has a good enough roster to be a borderline playoff team. Even with suboptimal QB play, Washington was still one win away from the playoffs. With the NFC East now looking like one of the best divisions in the NFC, Washington seems to be on the outside looking in when it comes to competing for the top spot.
It will be interesting to see which route Washington goes with the quarterback position. It also remains to be seen what they do with Carson Wentz.
