Taylor Heinicke was the backup quarterback for the XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the league and, seemingly, his last shot at playing football for a living.
Heinicke, signed by the Vikings out of Old Dominion as an undrafted free agent in 2015, was ready to move on with his life and find other ways to stick in football. He dialed up Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner, who was Heinicke's quarterbacks coach during his two seasons in Minnesota.
"I remember calling Scott Turner and asking him if there were any coaching spots open in Washington," Heinicke told Twin Cities reporters on a conference call Thursday.