A 33-year-old backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers announced his retirement after earning over $20 million during his final years in the NFL.

Taylor Heinicke announced on his Instagram that he is retiring after playing for seven years in the NFL.

“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, according to Adam Schefter's X post.

Across his seven years in the NFL, Heinicke logged snaps for five teams, including Washington, Houston, Carolina, and Atlanta.

“Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold," Schefter's X post further read, revealing Heinicke's message. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would've been able to live this life.”

After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings gave him a chance to join the NFL and signed him to compete for the backup quarterback role behind Teddy Bridgewater. He eventually became the third-string quarterback.

But his peak didn’t come until the 2020 season, during the wild-card round playoff matchup (his only playoff appearance) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In the 31-23 loss, he completed 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards and also recorded 46 rushing yards after their then-QB1, Dwayne Haskins, was released and Alex Smith sustained a calf injury.

After that, he signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract extension and was named the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders. He justified that trust by recording 3,419 passing yards and 20 touchdowns.

After his stint with the Washington Commanders, Taylor Heinicke signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, serving as their backup quarterback before being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Thank you to all who have supported me in this journey," his message further read. "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!”

Alongside the NFL, he also pursued a career in the United Football League.

Quarterback Taylor Heinicke’s Time In The UFL

After Taylor Heinicke accepted an athletic scholarship from Old Dominion University in 2011, he had a strong collegiate career, completing almost 3,500 passing yards.

Despite that performance, he went undrafted in the NFL but was later signed by the Minnesota Vikings.

Before joining the Washington Commanders in 2020, Taylor Heinicke was assigned to the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL. The league placed him on the BattleHawks’ roster during the 2020 XFL Draft, but he never got any playing time and recorded no statistics.

His deal ended when the XFL shut down operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Heinicke returned to the NFL.

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Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote