Taylor Heinicke shocked many around the NFL when he burst onto the scene and threw for 306 yards and a touchdown in the Washington Football Team’s playoff loss to the Buccaneers this past season, but former wide receiver Torrey Smith was not among that majority.
“I was talking through the offseason, I tried to tell you early on,” Smith told 106.7 The Fan’s Brian Mitchell and JP Finlay on Friday. “I said, ‘They’re going to give the ball to Heinicke if something happens.’ This guy was ready to play.”
Something did happen in the form of an ineffective Dwayne Haskins, who was later released, and a banged-up Alex Smith, paving the way for Heinicke to get his chance after appearing to be on his last legs in the NFL. Instead, the undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion has a fresh two-year contract and a big believer in his former teammate.
“When you have an opportunity to play with someone, you’re able to see a little more than from the outside,” said Smith, who spent time with Heinicke in Carolina when the two were with the Panthers in 2018.
“Too often in the NFL and other careers all across this great country of ours, people think because they haven’t seen you in the limelight, then you’re not talented enough," Smith said. "I was able to see him each and every day, I was able to run routes with him after practice, I was able to be with him in meetings to watch the way he was able to see things from his position, I was able to watch the way he was in the locker room, so it’s no surprise that his teammates love him, and it’s no surprise that he’s able to throw the ball. He’s a gamer.”
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Heinicke started just one game with Carolina in 2018, and didn’t appear in another NFL game until Week 16 of this season, when he came on to complete 12 of 19 passes before showing out against the eventual Super Bowl champs in the playoffs. It was an unlikely resurgence for the soon-to-be 28-year-old, but in the eyes of Smith, having offensive coordinator Scott Turner on the sidelines helped the rest of the world see what Smith sees in Heinicke.
“You know how it works in this league,” Smith said. “If you get hurt and haven’t had a chance to prove yourself, you’re not going to get that opportunity. On the other side of that, it’s great when you have someone who knows who you are. Scott Turner is that bridge. He knows Taylor. When Taylor was in Minnesota, he was there because of Scott. When he was in Carolina, he was there because of Scott. Sometimes all you need is that one person who believes in you and for the Washington Football Team last year, it was do or die. Now he’s a story that kids can learn from.”
Turner, the only quarterbacks coach that showed up for Heinicke’s pro day at Old Dominion, will now have Heinicke back on the sidelines next season to serve in a backup role at the very least, but Smith believes Heinicke can be more than that for Washington, and his two-week spurt can be more than a flash in the pan.
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“There’s something about Taylor, he’s not afraid,” Smith said. “But you just know that guy who has that confidence and swagger, and he’s just gonna let it roll. You’ve seen the way he plays. He’s fun to watch, he’s running all around and he’s able to make some big-time plays…You’re talking about a guy that threw for a gazillion yards at ODU. He’s not afraid to throw the ball.”
Heinicke may not be ticketed for a late-career surge that lands him among the best quarterbacks in the NFC, but Smith doesn’t think Heinicke needs to be that in order to have success in Washington.
“If you’re a Washington fan, you have to be excited about the potential,” Smith said. “You made the playoffs… you have a team that’s been there and has that experience, and the offense was being carried the entire year. You don’t need the offense to be top-five in the league, you just need it to be respectable. If you’re able to do that, and you have a championship defense on the other side, the sky is the limit for Washington.”
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