If you were expecting Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera to name Taylor Heinicke the permanent starting quarterback for the remainder of the season after Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers, then think again.
Yes, Rivera was excited about Heinicke’s play and understands that his backup quarterback did some terrific things in Sunday’s win, but he understands there are still 10 games remaining in the season.
For Rivera, it’s about evaluating the position on a week-to-week basis.
“Not necessarily,” Rivera answered when asked if there would be a conflict if Heinicke wins the job while Carson Wentz is sidelined with an injury.
“I think this is about playing one game at a time, focusing on one game at a time, and when we get to that position, then I’ll deal with it.”
This is the correct approach. We saw a large sample size from Heinicke last season. We know there were good games followed by bad games. There is no need to make any grand declarations based on one performance.
There is no denying Heinicke’s teammates love him. That’s not a shot at Wentz, either. The team has shown plenty of love and respect for him, too. But with Heinicke, everything is different. Of all of the quarterbacks Washington has played since Rivera took over in 2020, it’s Heinicke who the team believes in the most.
The Commanders face the Colts next week. If Heinicke can string together multiple strong performances, he can stake his claim to the starting position when Wentz returns. If he struggles, you can insert Wentz back into the lineup or turn things over to rookie Sam Howell.
The best-case scenario for Rivera and Washington is for Heinicke to continue playing well and deal with questions about Wentz when that time comes.
Rivera deserves credit for not saying “this is Carson’s team regardless.” Wentz didn’t earn that confidence with his play through six weeks. Rivera must do what’s in the best interest of the team.
