Ron Rivera Announces Week 17 Decision At Quarterback

The Washington Football Team is hoping that veteran quarterback Alex Smith will be able to play in the pivotal Week 17 contest at Philadelphia.

However, Smith’s status has yet to be finalized. He’s battling an injury and was unable to play in a Week 16 loss to Carolina. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to give it a go.

Washington started second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins on Sunday, but he was benched in the second half for Taylor Heinicke.

The Football Team announced on Monday morning that Heinicke, not Haskins, will start in Week 17 if Smith can’t play.

WFT HC Ron Rivera said Taylor Heinicke will play in Sunday night’s division-deciding game against the Eagles if Alex Smith cannot.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 28, 2020

Heinicke, 27, played collegiately at Old Dominion. He’s bounced around the league since 2015, spending time on the rosters in Minnesota, New England, Houston and Carolina before signing in Washington.

The journeyman quarterback completed 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown against the Panthers on Sunday.

Haskins, meanwhile, appears to be on his way out in Washington. The former first-round NFL Draft pick has struggled both on and off the field. At this rate, it would be surprising to see Haskins on the Washington Football Team roster when the 2021 season begins.

Washington and Philadelphia are scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. E.T. on Sunday.

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