Robert Griffin III thinks the Washington Commanders, in most cases, should stick with Carson Wentz.
But even he knows there’s a level Taylor Heinicke could reach that would leave Ron Rivera with no choice but to stick with him.
Wentz is on injured reserve after getting surgery on a fractured finger, and the earliest he can return is Week 11 against the Texans. Heinicke delivered in his first start of the season Sunday, leading the Commanders to a 23-21 win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Heinicke got off to a slow start but ultimately finished strong, lending some credence to the theory from a faction of the Commanders fanbase that no matter what, it should be Heinicke over Wentz.
In his weekly appearance on “The Sports Junkies,” Griffin was asked what Rivera should do if the Commanders win three of four with Heinicke.
"It’s very simple: I am a guy that believes they should stick with Carson Wentz no matter what, but because of the way that Taylor Heinicke plays the game, if they win three of the next four they can’t pull him out. That’s just the bottom line," Griffin said. "I know the money that’s tied up in Carson, and you’re talking to a guy that believes he that should get every possible opportunity. … (But) any combination of three out of four, Taylor Heinicke is going to be the guy.”
Over the next three weeks, the Commanders have the Colts on the road, the Vikings at home and the Eagles on the road. The Colts game is the most winnable, but if the defense keeps playing well they could hang around with Minnesota.
Winning three in the four-game window Wentz has to miss is not off the table. It’s also plausible that things go sideways and they end up going dropping most, if not all of those games.
“If Washington ends up 3-7, then you have to get your money’s worth out of Carson Wentz,” Griffin said. “You’re paying him a bunch of money, there’s no point in putting him on the bench at that point.
“If (Wentz) comes back and he’s healthy and ready to play, the only thing that I envision in my head is if Taylor Heinicke’s moxie can’t win you a few games out of the next four, like three out of the next four, then your team is pretty much doomed. Because what the defense did in that game is kind of getting overlooked.”
If nothing else, the Commanders are trending in the right direction, and Heinicke playing well enough to create a quarterback controversy would probably be a welcomed issue for Washington.
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