Fred Smoot Compares Taylor Heinicke To Hall Of Fame QB
If former defensive back Fred Smoot were still playing in the NFL, he’d likely soon receive a knock on the door from one of the league’s “random” drug-testers because he recently compared Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke to legendary QB Kurt Warner:
“The story has a lot of Kurt Warner,” Smoot told BMitch and Finlay of 106.7 The Fan. “The Rams had all the positions. They had the wide receivers. They had Marshall Faulk. They had the linemen. They had the defense. And then out of nowhere, here comes this Kurt Warner guy, not supposed to start, gets in the game, never gives the job back.”
Heinicke started just one regular-season game last year, completing 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. The 28-year-old XFL alum also got the nod in Washington’s playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay, throwing for 306 yards with a pick and a touchdown.
That's not exactly reminiscent of Warner’s Greatest Show on Turf...
Entering his fourth season, Heinicke, an Old Dominion grad, has appeared in just eight games and attempted a total of 77 passes. The lean resume didn’t deter Smoot from continuing the comparison to Warner: “Hall of Famer. Heinicke has that feel to me. He has that, ‘You know what? If I ever get that job, I will never relinquish that job,'” per 106.7 The Fan.
Before Heinicke poses for his bust in Canton, he’ll first be tasked with beating out Ryan Fitzpatrick for the Washington Football Team’s starting gig. This offseason, Fitzpatrick was signed to a one-year deal worth at least $10 million and another $2 million in incentives. In seven starts for the Dolphins last season, Fitzpatrick tossed 13 touchdowns and has totaled 223 TD strikes over his 16-year career. If Heinicke expects to unseat Fitzpatrick, the presumed starter, he will need to channel his inner Kurt Warner in a hurry.
Should Heinicke's Hall of Fame chances go up in smoke this summer, he should quickly reach out to Smoot for a stress relieving medicinal recommendation.