On Monday, the Washington Football Team got some bad news when they learned that starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would have to go on injured reserve after an MRI revealed a right hip subluxation.
Fitzpatrick will have to go on IR for at least three weeks, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fitzpatrick is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
The 38-year-old injured his hip after being hit by Chargers LB Uchenna Nwosu on a pass play in the second quarter in the team’s 20-16 loss to Los Angeles on Sunday.
Taylor Heinicke, who replaced Fitzpatrick on Sunday, will get the start against the Giants on Thursday night. The fourth-year quarterback was 11/15 for 122 yards and one touchdown against the Chargers, and Washington head coach Ron Rivera was pleased by what he saw from Heinicke.
“Well, obviously, we were pleased,” Rivera said about Heinicke. “We moved the ball well; we made some things happen. We moved to ball well early, too. We just didn’t put it in the end zone, but with Taylor, we got one in the end zone. I thought the throw that he made to [TE] Logan [Thomas] was a heck of a throw.”
Kyle Allen will be the backup to Heinicke.
This injury is a tough break for Fitzpatrick, but at the same time, it could open the door for Heinicke to prove that maybe he has what it takes to be a starting quarterback for Washington going forward.
This could also open the door for Washington to think about free-agent quarterback Cam Newton, who is available after being recently released by the Patriots. Rivera and Newton have history together as the two spent time with each other in Carolina. However, Newton is not vaccinated for Covid-19, which could make things tricky.
Newton had his best years with Rivera in Carolina, including being the league MVP in 2015 and leading to the Super Bowl that same season. Who knows if the 32-year-old Newton gets a shot in Washington, but if it happened, it sure would be interesting to see.
