One point made on Heinicke that rings true for me is that he has only had one full season and is not a finished product. For a guy off the street he performed admirably. Having acknowledged that - the discussion then has to move to whether his occasional struggles were due to inherent physical limitations or due to a natural rookie learning curve? His perceived limitations (for those willing to consider them) include his short stature (which for all shorter QBs is a detriment as it makes it very hard to see downfield), his seeming inability to make all of the throws required at the NFL level with velocity, and his reckless tendency to take off.
I think the problem here is that he's not 22. He's 29. You just don't have the luxury of waiting around for him to reach his ultimate potential. The guys who afforded years to develop and improve are rookies (true rookies) who are playing on rebuilding teams. Heinicke was neither of those things.
The other thing I'd point out here is that the things you see improvement on given more playing time (instinct, pocket presence, football IQ, mental toughness) ... he's got all of those things already. That is why I said we are seeing his top-end now. The things he doesn't have (size, durability, arm strength) aren't going to get better as he gets older.
I think his lack of size and his (at best) average arm strength are real issues. Arm strength is not the end all/be all - this is true. Accuracy and decision-making are far more important and I would say that Heinicke was above average as a rookie starters in those areas. But not being able to get the ball downfield at times or not being able to deliver the ball with velocity unless his feet are perfectly set, we've seen the advantage that gives defenders. Heinicke is a serious rushing threat and that's great, but he has and would likely continue to put himself at risk numerous times during the season. That raises durability and availability concerns.
So yeah. All of this.
The dilemma (and we saw this clearly evidenced in his only season as a starter) is that it is Heinicke's mobility and ability to operate as a RPO QB that makes him special. There is no question that he can make something electric happen with his feet. But his small stature and reckless disregard for his own welfare make that a very risky proposition. In 2021 it appeared that the coaching staff was trying to reign in that aspect of his game for obvious reasons, and while that kept him on the field, Heinicke is not particularly effective when using his feet as a weapon is taken off the table. My personal opinion - if they choose to give Heinicke another shot (or are forced to) at some point, they need to take off the reigns. If he gets hurt, he gets hurt. But he does not possess the arm talent alone to be very effective when opponents know he is not a risk to take off on them.
The bolded part is why he makes such a great backup. Because he can afford to play with the reckless abandon that makes him so effective. As a full-time starter he has to protect himself, and, as you say, that takes away his running game which limits him.
The last thing I will say, and this is the reason I would've been okay if the team had elected to give Heinicke another season or two and build around him... Heinicke has *something* that is very difficult to find in a QB. That 'intangible' gamer mentality that allows him, despite his physical shortcomings, to frequently over-achieve. To do things, by moxie and force-of-will, that no one anticipates him capable of doing. He gets every ounce of potential out of the gifts he was given. On the field, the guy is a warrior. As I said many times early in Heinicke's DC career - when he came on the field you could just see and feel the guys around him reacting to him. They love and respect him and sometimes that can make a big difference.
I love this about Heinicke. He's got moxie. He's a gamer. He's Brett Favre without all the physical tools (and ... other baggage). It's hard not to root for a guy like him. If he does start some time this season I will be 100% in the tank for him. I love to see players like him succeed.
Ultimately, the team has to decide whether Heinicke's positive attributes are sufficient to overcome the measureable barriers to success. Last offseason, they decided they were not. And they went and got a QB who they believe has the things Heinicke lacks. Whether that was the wrong decision, I can't yet say.
Well, I thought the Wentz trade was terrible. I still think so. I would have much rather stuck with Heinicke and drafted someone.
But, due to his limitations, I don't think Heinicke would have ever been more than a stop-gap. I don't disagree with the front office on that.
Heinicke has only had one season as a starter. It's absolutely valid to point out. QBs take time to reach their potential NFL ceiling. In a nutshell, it's true that future great QBs may look flawed and ineffective at times due to their early inexperience. But it's also true that most QBs who look flawed and ineffective early in their careers do not end up having long NFL careers as starters. Innate ability and talent are always going to be the most important factors in that equation. And that's the basis on which many question whether Heinicke can be the exception.
And this is a good point as well. For every QB that looks promising for a season and becomes a Franchise QB, there are three or four that crash and burn. I think Heinicke probably is as advertised. As I said above, he's not a babe in the woods. He's been in league awhile. I'd love to be able to keep him around for awhile. He's a perfect backup.
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