Quarterback Taylor Heinicke announced his retirement from football on Thursday, ending his career after playing seven NFL seasons.
"For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football," Heinicke wrote on Instagram, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "It has taught me a lot, not only about myself, but about life as well.
"Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would've been able to live this life."
Heinicke, 33, will be best remembered for his time with the Washington Commanders between 2020-22, notably making his first start with the team in a one-possession wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Old Dominion product began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and spent his first three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2015-17). He also had one-year stints with the Houston Texans (2017) and Carolina Panthers (2018) before a brief tenure with the XFL's St. Louis BattleHawks in 2020.
Most recently, Heinicke started four games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. He then joined the Los Angeles Chargers as Justin Herbert's backup. In 2025, the Chargers released him and tabbed Trey Lance as their QB2.
Heinicke hangs up his cleats with 6,663 passing yards and 39 touchdowns against 28 interceptions over 42 NFL appearances (29 starts).
