Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera may have already selected his starting quarterback for Sunday’s game at the 1-7-1 Houston Texans.
“Washington has a decision to make at quarterback with Carson Wentz returning to health, and though no firm decision has been made, it could be an easy one,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported for a piece published Wednesday. “Many around the league expect the Commanders to stick with Taylor Heinicke, at least for the short term. Hard to ignore the Commanders’ performance with him under center: He’s 8-4 in his past 12 starts, including a 3-1 clip this year.”
Wentz has been sidelined since he fractured his right ring finger in a win over the Chicago Bears on Oct. 13 but theoretically could be activated off injured reserve at any point before the coming weekend. Heinicke hasn’t performed like a Most Valuable Player candidate over the past four contests, but he’s helped guide the Commanders from an overall record of 2-4 to a 5-5 mark ahead of the Week 11 clash in Houston.
“As one source told me, young players gravitate toward Heinicke because of his fiery personality and his no-fear attitude, and Ron Rivera knows about the locker-room support for sticking with Heinicke,” Fowler explained.
While speaking with media members on Tuesday, Rivera refused to commit to going back to a healthy Wentz even though the Commanders traded for the 29-year-old’s services in March.
“The Commanders value Wentz’s skill and toughness, and he is also well-liked there. Wentz is healing as scheduled and could be ready as soon as Sunday vs. the Texans,” Fowler added.
In his four starts, Heinicke has posted an 82.7 passer rating and 47.2 total QBR to go along with 840 passing yards, five touchdown throws and four interceptions. To compare, Wentz holds an 84.1 passer rating and 32.4 total QBR with 1,489 passing yards for 10 scores and six picks across six starts.
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