Ryan Fitzpatrick’s reign as the starting quarterback of the Washington Football Team lasted only two quarters. The veteran suffered a hip injury in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, prompting the team to place him on the injured reserve list.
Fitzpatrick will have to miss at least three weeks of football after landing on the IR, but depending on the severity of the injury, he might be sidelined longer than that. In his absence, Taylor Heinicke will take over under center.
This was confirmed by Washington head coach Ron Rivera in a press conference on Monday, who added that he believes Heinicke and backup Kyle Allen can respond to the task.
“We like the guys we have; they’ve done good things for us. We’ll see what happens,” River said. “I’m as confident as I could be.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick, who joined Washington in free agency after spending two years with the Miami Dolphins, had a rough start against the Chargers. The 37-year-old star managed to complete three out of six passes attempted while throwing for 13 yards.
Fitzpatrick got hurt four minutes into the second period. The injury resulted from a tackle by Chargers defensive end Uchenna Nwosu, who landed on the veteran while bringing him down on the ground.
Stepping in for Fitzpatrick, Heinicke delivered an encouraging performance and finished the contest with 122 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Still, he couldn’t help the Washington Football Team to avoid defeat, as the Chargers ended up claiming the 20-16 win.
