Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke clearly doesn't mind not starting on a regular basis, as he's claimed he has 'one of the best jobs in America' being a back-up.
Heinicke is set to be a free agent this off-season after three seasons in Washington, and is looking to secure his next move within the NFL. The quarterback appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss his future, with a starting role set firmly in his sights.
The 29-year-old has become used to being a back-up, and has performed well when filling in at the Commanders whenever required. But Heinicke isn't upset about not being no.1, and even claimed his job is one of the best out there.
Heinicke is hoping to become a starter at a new franchise, although he's more than happy to settle for no.2 also. The quarterback is dreaming of a move to the Green Bay Packers, but held off from naming any specific teams he could join.
"I’m not gonna say any teams. Obviously, I would love to go to the Packers," Heinicke said Friday. "That’s been a childhood dream of mine to play for the Packers. But, other than that, obviously, I want to play.
"I want to start. And if that opportunity doesn’t come up, being a backup in the NFL is probably one of the best jobs in America."
Heinicke has impressed over the past two seasons, and it's likely that teams will be interested in him before the start of next season. Over the past two seasons, Heinicke has started 24 games for the Commanders while posting a 12-11-1 record.
The quarterback threw for 32 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in that time, but enjoyed a positive season in 2022 before starting quarterback Carson Wentz returned. The Commanders were 2-4 when Wentz suffered a fractured finger, and Heinecke then led the team to five wins in their next six games.
Despite the run, Heinicke was instantly benched again when Wentz returned, and it was '"tough" to deal with for the quarterback who thought he'd finally been given his chance. "It was tough. I understand the business of the NFL," Heinicke said.
"We just paid a guy $30 million. Let’s give him another chance. I think we lost two, had a tie and we were kind of on the (cusp) there.
"I’m not going to say I felt disrespected. It was just kind of the communication of how it all went down that I wasn’t very happy about."
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