Taylor Heinicke is back.
The Washington Football Team activated its starting quarterback off the COVID-19 reserve list Thursday, a week after he tested positive for the virus. The move comes ahead of the team’s crucial showdown with the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football” at AT&T Stadium.
Heinicke was reportedly asymptomatic, but he couldn’t clear the protocols in time for Tuesday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With backup Kyle Allen also out, Washington signed Garrett Gilbert on Friday and then started him days later. Gilbert delivered a gutsy performance, but the team lost, 27-17.
Now, Heinicke returns in time to face the Cowboys. The NFL reworked its COVID-19 policies last week, adjusting the threshold to return from the virus. Vaccinated players can now return sooner in a number of ways — including testing negative twice within the same day (rather than 24 hours apart) or clearing the required cycle threshold.
As part of the move, the team also activated linebacker David Mayo and practice squad tight end Temarrick Hemingway from the reserve list.
