Taylor Heinicke announces retirement

Former NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke announced his retirement from football.

“For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football,” Heinicke wrote on Instagram. “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, last played in the NFL in 2024 with the Chargers, who released him out of the preseason in 2025.

Heinicke went undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2015, signing with the Vikings. He also spent time with the Patriots, Texans and Panthers in the NFL and the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League.

He played 42 games with 29 starts and completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 6,663 yards with 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.

His biggest moment came in a wild-card playoff loss with Washington against the Buccaneers in 2020. He threw for 306 yards with a touchdown and an interception and ran for another 46 yards and a touchdown.

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