Taylor Heinicke is seeing the perks of being an NFL starting quarterback: TV air time, jersey sales and $625,000 in bonuses
A promotion to NFL starting quarterback has its perks — more TV air time, higher merchandise sales, contract incentive bonuses.
Those are just a few noticeable benefits for Taylor Heinicke since the former Old Dominion star replaced Carson Wentz as the Washington Commanders’ starter last month.
Winning helps: Heinicke is 5-1 since becoming the starter 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, already a fan favorite after showing spunk in 15 starts last season, has seen a noticeable bump in popularity despite his ups and downs on the field.
A glance at the Washington Commanders’ website shows Heinicke’s face alongside a promotion for tickets to the team’s next home game — an NFC East showdown against the New York Giants on Dec. 17 or 18.
Heinicke has been featured on a postgame national TV interview after the past two victories — against Houston and Atlanta — and on the NFL’s official merchandise site, nflshop.com, his jersey is tagged with the “Most Popular in Jerseys” designation. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive end Chase Young are the only other current Washington players with that distinction.
Worth noting: Heinicke’s jersey was not among the site’s top 10 sellers during October. Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons and two of the league’s top-tier quarterbacks — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes — were 1-2-3.
Heinicke also has his own website that sells merchandise: taylorheinickestore.com. The site features T-shirts and hoodies with a “TH” design and some that are more whimsical. One, an apparent reference to his penchant for slinging up-for-grabs-passes to McLaurin, shows Heinicke with a thought bubble that reads, “F#*% it. Terry down there somewhere.” Another says simply: “Heart. Grit. Toughness. Heinicke.”
But the most lucrative aspect of Heinicke’s ascension to starter this season is the same reason Rivera gave for keeping Heinicke in the starting lineup: “Winning.”
Heinicke’s incentive-laden contract stipulates that he receive $125,000 for each victory in which he plays 60% of the snaps. After five wins, that has added $625,000 to his annual base salary of $1.5 million this season.
Heinicke, 29, is in the final year of a two-year deal with Washington, and he almost certainly has earned a chance to make more next year with Washington or with another team. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Heinicke is 12-9 as a starter over the past two seasons after an improbable return to the NFL. After a legendary career at ODU, he bounced around without sticking in stints with Minnesota, Houston, Carolina and New England. He had appeared in just eight career games before Washington called on him as he was finishing his degree at ODU via online classes.
Heinicke was thrust into the starting lineup in the playoffs after the 2020 season and has won over Rivera and his teammates as well as Washington fans. Wentz has not yet been cleared to play, but Rivera has said Heinicke will remain the starter. Heinicke has thrown for 1,168 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
“It’s something I’ve been working for my whole life, to be a starting quarterback in the NFL,” Heinicke told reporters after being named QB1. “It’s every kid’s dream, so it means a lot to me, it’s very special to me. I just want to keep this thing rolling.”
Jami Frankenberry, 757-418-1446, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com
