In Taylor Heinicke’s second career start in 2020, he was tasked with facing the Bucs in what would go on to be their Super Bowl-winning season.

After Heinicke relieved Dwayne Haskins against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, the then-Washington Football Team decided to release Haskins the day after. This primed Heinicke to start in the team’s Wild Card game after quarterback Alex Smith was ruled out with an injury, which began the former XFL star’s unlikely journey.

Washington Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke. – Photo by: USA Today

Heinicke played his heart out against the Bucs in what would end up being a 31-23 loss for Washington. With limited familiarity of the offensive players around him, Heinicke completed 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards and threw one touchdown and one interception while impressing with his poise and ability to make plays.

Although he kept the team alive with his arm, his memorable rushing touchdown that saw him dive and stretch for the pylon was an exclamation point that demonstrated that he belonged in the league.

Before the start of this past season, Heinicke appeared on Bussin’ With The Boys and spoke about his journey that has included the XFL, taking college courses all the way up to his phone call from Washington and then, ultimately, the big playoff appearance that put him on the map.

When asked about how he and the team adjusted and prepared for the Bucs’ defense in that game, he mentioned that “Todd Bowles likes to bring it.”

Now, could he find himself facing Bowles’ defense in practice this coming season as a member of the Bucs?

It seems as if the Commanders are ready to move on from Heinicke, who is a pending free agent, despite the success he has had in Washington. The team has announced that they are preparing next season as if Sam Howell is the starter, while Heinicke himself has already floated the idea of playing for the Green Bay Packers if Aaron Rodgers is not the starter.

Another option could be coming down to Tampa Bay and playing under the system new offensive coordinator Dave Canales will be implementing, one Heinicke may be a potential fit in.

Taylor Heinicke Is Similar To A Former Seahawks QB

Dave Canales spent plenty of time in Seattle working with Russell Wilson, a quarterback with comparable physical characteristics to Heinicke. Canales was the receivers coach when Wilson got drafted and later became his quarterbacks coach from 2018-2019 and passing game coordinator from 2020-2021. During this time, Canales game-planned to Wilson’s strengths as an undersized signal-caller.

As Canales builds his vision for the Bucs in 2023, the quarterback under center is the biggest variable. Adding Heinicke allows him to construct a similar-style offense around someone who can get the ball into his playmakers’ hands.

The comparison to Wilson extends to the unheralded starts to their respective careers. Much like Wilson being a third-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2012 and battling Matt Flynn for the starting job, Heinicke has had to prove himself throughout his career continuously. This included this past season as he competed with quarterbacks like Howell and Carson Wentz, who Washington traded for despite Heinicke still being on the roster.

Prior to starting most of the past two seasons, Heinicke spent time on four NFL teams (Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers) while also cameoing with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL in that league’s first revival. During this time, he had a grand total of 58 NFL pass attempts and one touchdown pass.

Heinicke plays with a lot of heart, but what would that mean for the Bucs? Well, it starts with how he quickly he could win over players and fans, much like he did with the Commanders.

QB Taylor Heinicke Would Win Over Bucs’ Players, Coaches

Back in October 2022, John Keim of ESPN wrote two separate pieces breaking down exactly why Commanders players and coaches rallied behind Heinicke as he filled in for Carson Wentz from Week 7 until Wentz started in Week 17 when the team was eliminated from contention. Much of the praise notably came from receiver Terry McLaurin and head coach Ron Rivera.

Washington Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke. – Photo by: USA Today

“His ability to extend plays is really big for us,” McLaurin said at the time. “The heart he plays with, a lot of guys galvanize behind that. You never know what you’ll get with Taylor, and that’s the fun part of it.

“He’s a guy who you have confidence in his ability to make plays. It may not be the prettiest or what you’re used to every Sunday. He’s playing like it’s backyard football, but playing within himself.”

Heinicke’s head coach in Washington had similar praise.

“It is an underdog mentality,” Rivera added weeks later. “It’s the way he plays. He plays all out. And the legend grows when you dive at pylons and do what he did. I mean, you get guys to rally and people love that. But the underdog mentality I think is what people really gravitate towards.”

Taylor Heinicke Is The Perfect Bridge QB For Kyle Trask

This could be something the Bucs target in their next quarterback. While they give Kyle Trask a test run on offense, having someone like Heinicke as a backup would be a best-case scenario. It would bring great competition throughout training camp and the preseason, while Heinicke’s personality may be a net positive for a young quarterback to lean on.

By no stretch of the imagination would Heinicke come in and be a franchise quarterback or long-term starter. But what he would be is a mentor for Kyle Trask as a high-end backup who has the floor of a low-end starter should the need arise for him to fill in.

Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

His career numbers do not jump off the page, but his ability to win and keep his teams competitive does. While Heinicke has thrown for 5,745 yards, 34 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his career, he has gone 12-12-1 as a starter.

For the Bucs, bringing him in could be a win-win scenario. If Trask is able to show he is a starting-caliber quarterback, Heinicke will be one of the best backups in the league.

Should Trask be eased into the system to begin the season or struggle, Heinicke has the ability to keep the ship afloat until further notice.

There are still many questions to solve in the quarterback picture. Trask’s outlook as the prospective starter is still to be determined. With only one quarterback currently on the roster, two more are presumably going to be added (along with Ryan Griffin, one would think).

While this opens the door for a Baker Mayfield revival or Drew Lock migration, it could also call for “Heineken time” in Tampa Bay.