Taylor Heinicke is now the Commanders’ No. 1 quarterback.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera confirmed after today’s win over the Texans that Heinicke will remain the starter, and that when Wentz is fully cleared to return from his hand injury, he’ll be Heinicke’s backup.
“We’re gonna go with Taylor. We’ll work with Carson and see where Carson is, as far as whether he’s ready to be the backup,” Rivera said.
Asked what Taylor has shown to lead to that decision, Rivera said, “Winning.”
The Commanders are winning with Heinicke: They’re now 4-1 since Heinicke became the starting quarterback, and they were 2-4 with Wentz. Rivera actually got lucky that Wentz suffered that injury, as Heinicke becoming the starter has breathed new life into a team that looked like it was going nowhere.