Former Vikings QB Announces Retirement

On Thursday, a former undrafted quarterback who made it 11 seasons in the NFL announced his retirement.

Via his Instagram page, Taylor Heinicke sent a farewell message, thanking fans who supported him during his time in the league.

“For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football… It has taught me a lot, not only about myself, but about

life as well,” Heinicke wrote, via a message posted by Adam Schefter of ESPN. “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.

“Thank you to all who have supported me in this journey. Thank you all who have believed in me. And thank you to those who gave me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. Excited for this next chapter of my life! And always, Go Skins!”

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Heinicke spent four seasons at Old Dominion, earning FCS Player of the Year and the Walter Payton Award for the 2012 season. The Minnesota Vikings signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2015. He had stops with the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.

Heinicke, 33, last played for the Chargers in 2014.

During his 11 years in the league, Heinicke appeared in 42 games and made 29 starts. He went 13-15-1 as a starter. He threw for 5,415 yards, 33 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Washington started Heinicke in its wild-card matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 season. He went 26-of-44 passing for 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He added a rushing touchdown in a 31-23 loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Heinicke made 15 starts for Washington in 2021 when starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a hip injury. He went 7-8 as a starter for the Commanders that season. Heinicke played a large role for the Commanders in 2022 when starting quarterback Carson Wentz was out with a finger injury, going 5-3-1 as a starter.

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 6:45 PM.