(Photo credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images)

Veteran quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who went from undrafted to a playoff starter in the NFL, announced his retirement on Thursday.

'For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football,' Heinicke wrote in an Instagram post. 'It has taught me a lot, not only about myself but about life as well. Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would've been able to live this life.

'Thank you to all who have supported me in this journey. 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!'

Heinicke, 33, signed with the then-Washington Football Team in 2020 after appearing in seven games (one start) over the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, respectively.

A month after signing to the practice squad, he started Washington's wild-card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 9, 2021, completing 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 31-23 loss.

That performance led Washington to sign Heinicke to a two-year contract. He made 15 of his 29 career starts in 2021 for Washington, completing 65% of his passes for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also ran for 313 yards in 2021, finishing with a 7-8 record as a starter.

Heinicke last played for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 and was released from the team during preseason ahead of the 2025 season.

He finishes his career with 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in 42 games for the Texans, Panthers, Washington Commanders (2020-22), Atlanta Falcons (2023) and Chargers. Heinicke went 13-15-1 as an NFL starter.

--Field Level Media