Taylor Heinicke's post-NFL career path will be put on hold once again.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that the Washington Football Team has agreed to terms on a two-year extension for Heinicke worth $8.75 million, per sources.
Rapoport added the deal also includes incentives depending on how many games he starts.
Heinicke was set to be a restricted free agent.
"It's a good feeling," Heinicke told Washington senior vice president of media and content Julie Donaldson on Wednesday. "Everyone knows I was at home taking math classes ... so for this contact to come, it's a big sigh of relief. I'm really excited. This is the place I wanted to be, so everything came together pretty smoothly, and I'm really excited to be back."
Washington famously pulled Heinicke out of engineering classes at Old Dominion in December after a rash of injuries gutted the team's QB room. The 27-year-old can put off using those engineer skills a bit longer.
After joining Washington late in the season, Heinicke replaced an ineffectual Dwayne Haskins in Week 16, nearly spurring a comeback against Carolina.
Alex Smith returned for the Week 17 win that propelled Washington to the postseason. The club cut Haskins, and an injury prevented Smith from playing in the playoffs.
The confluence of circumstances led to Heinicke starting the wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The QB impressed in the pressure-packed start, completing 26-of-44 passes for 306 yards, one TD, and one INT while adding six rushes for 46 yards and another score. Against a defense that would go on to smother the likes of Drew Brees and eventually Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl while taking out Aaron Rodgers along the way, Heinicke's performance against the champs deserves praise.
Smith remains under contract, but his future remains in question due to his latest injury. Kyle Allen, who suffered a season-ending injury after four starts, is an exclusive rights free agent.
Heinicke's new contract answers the first in a series of questions regarding the Washington QB room. The next is whether Ron Rivera adds another veteran to the mix in free agency, a high draft pick, or all of the above in 2021.
