4 former Carolina Panthers to root for in the 2020 NFL Playoffs
By Dean Jones
Taylor Heinicke – QB
Taylor Heinicke might be one of the more unlikely playoff contributors this weekend. But the Washington Football Team might need him to play a significant part if quarterback Alex Smith fails to prove his fitness.
Nobody will be rooting against Heinicke, who was brought back from the NFL wilderness by Ron Rivera and got his chance to see some time on the field against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16. Washington might have even won the game had they gone with the signal-caller earlier instead of Dwayne Haskins, who was released following another dismal outing.
Although this is a worst-case scenario for Washington if Heinicke does start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedEx Field, he does have some likable traits that fit in well with Rivera’s scheme.
Coming up against a formidable Bucs’ defense isn’t going to be the easiest of propositions, of that there is little doubt. But if they do end up going with Heinicke at any stage of the contest, then it’s unlikely that the playbook would need to alter a great deal in this particular scenario.
Heinicke started just one game for the Panthers in 2017 and is an easy player to get behind. However, this would undeniably be the biggest test of his young career by a considerable margin.