One of the biggest knocks on Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke is his arm strength. Heinicke’s lack of arm strength limited Washington’s playbook in 2021, despite the quarterback’s knowledge of offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s offense.
With starting quarterback Carson Wentz sidelined for at least a few weeks with a fractured finger on his throwing hand, Heinicke is back in the lineup. He met with the media after practice Wednesday and believes being thrust into the lineup in Week 1 last season benefitted him.
“Yeah, like I just said earlier, 15 games of playing and live football, it’s gonna give you the confidence and what you need to do, what you need to look for, and what not to do,” Heinicke said.
“Again, I’ve been looking at a lot of film from last year and what I played. Good games, bad games, and the game against Green Bay last year. I just feel like I’m head and shoulders above where I was at that point.”
Heinicke talked about the offseason and what he worked on, and one of those things was improving his arm strength.
“There’s a couple things last year that I knew I needed to work on, whether it’s footwork or arm strength” Heinicke said. “I went out to Cali a couple of times and worked with the same guy that Carson [Wentz] works with to try and improve on that. And I feel like I have. It’s still a work in progress, but something I work on every day.”
Heinicke went into detail about how he can improve his arm strength.
“I was really just kind of using my arm last year,” he said. “Wasn’t really getting my hips into it at times. I think that’s where you get all your power from. I’ve tried to use my hips a lot more. It’s kind of like a golf swing. It’s pretty much the same exact thing as a golf swing. Golfed a lot and tried to work on those mechanics. That was my offseason.”
Improving your arm strength once you are in the NFL can be done. Drew Brees once improved his arm strength from one offseason to the next early in his career. No one is saying Heinicke is Brees, but it can be done.
Heinicke will not match Wentz’s arm strength, no matter how much work he has done. However, he brings plenty of positive traits to the table. Heinicke’s athleticism, mastery of the playbook and rapport with some of Washington’s players, specifically Terry McLaurin, give the Commanders a chance to thrive on offense over the next few weeks.
