WASHINGTON — Taylor Heinicke is set to start at quarterback for Washington against the New York Giants on Thursday night after Ryan Fitzpatrick injured his right hip in the season opener.
The team is putting Fitzpatrick on injured reserve after coach Ron Rivera confirmed tests on the 38-year-old showed hip subluxation. Fitzpatrick will miss at least three games.
Washington figures to stick with Heinicke and Kyle Allen for the foreseeable future. There is no indication Rivera is considering signing Cam Newton, whom he coached with Carolina.
Washington added Kyle Shurmur to the practice squad Monday. The son of former Giants coach and current Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has spent time on the practice squad with Kansas City and Cincinnati.
Heinicke was working toward his degree at ODU when the Washington Football Team called him up, and in five weeks he went from studying for exams to studying Ron Rivera's playbook.
Due to Alex Smith being sidelined with a calf injury, Heinicke started at quarterback for Washington in their NFC Wild Card playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay. He finished that game with 306 passing yards, and led the team with 46 rushing yards, including a diving touchdown that turned him into a household name with the help of teammate Chase Young. Heinicke says he's still not used to all of the fame.
Heinicke said he has turned to Fitzpatrick for more than a few pep talks.
"He reminds us, 'hey man, it's just a football game. You've been playing it since you were a young kid. It's supposed to be fun,'" Heinicke said of Fitzpatrick's advice. "It's a lot more fun now when you have that contract, and you feel less stressed. I'm not going to say I'm comfortable but my stress level is definitely lower than in previous years."
Washington will take on the Giants at FedEx Field on Thursday at 8:20 p.m.