How much will Taylor Heinicke earn as an unrestricted free agent after this season?

Taylor Heinicke’s contract earns him a base salary of about $1.5 million this season, and his pay ranks 46th among NFL quarterbacks.

But the former Old Dominion star is in line for a considerable raise this offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

How much is Heinicke looking at annually after starting for most of the past two seasons for the Washington Commanders? One website that tracks salaries predicts an eye-popping number: $19.7 million.

Spotrac.com calculated Heinicke’s value by comparing him to four other quarterbacks based on “age, contract status, and statistical production”: Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton and Jimmy Garoppolo. The site projects Heinicke will command a contract term of three years and more than $59 million.

Those quarterbacks have considerably more experience than Heinicke, who was thrust into Washington’s starting lineup in the playoffs after the 2020 season. Heinicke has since become a fan favorite whose teammates have rallied around him. He became the starter this season after Wentz suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand during a win over the Chicago Bears on Oct. 13. Heinicke’s first start this season was Oct. 23 against Green Bay.

Heinicke has thrown for 1,693 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. The Commanders (7-6-1) play at San Francisco on Saturday and are in the thick of the NFC wild-card race.

Washington is 5-2-1 since Heinicke took over for Wentz, although Wentz is now healthy and Heinicke’s struggles in recent weeks — he lost two fumbles in last week’s loss to the New York Giants — have spurred questions about whether a quarterback change is imminent.

Wentz, acquired by Washington in the offseason, is being paid more than $29 million this season.

Heinicke, 29, is in the final year of a two-year pact with Washington that pays him a base salary of $1.5 million. His projected bonuses take him to around $2.875 million, and he earns $125,000 for each win in which he plays 60% of the snaps. That has amounted to $625,000 this season.

Heinicke’s projected $19.7 million salary from spotrac.com seems far-fetched when you consider that would put him 14th in the NFL and ahead of Tom Brady’s annual salary of about $15 million.

Perhaps the quarterback most closely aligned with Heinicke is Miami backup Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater, 30, has nine NFL seasons with five teams and is making about $6.5 million this season.

Underdognetwork.com has predicted Heinicke would return to Washington next season for about $5 million per season.

Washington’s final three games — against San Francisco, Cleveland and Dallas — should go a long way in determining Heinicke’s next contract.

Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com. Twitter @JamiVP