Taylor Heinicke is expected to return to practice, starting the 21 day clock for the Minnesota Vikings to activate or release the young quarterback.
The focus of quarterback play for the Minnesota Vikings has shifted several times since the start of training camp. An offseason injury to Taylor Heinicke, the encouraging play from Joel Stave, an devastating injury to Teddy Bridgewater, and a big trade to acquire Sam Bradford have made headlines in the local sports media.
Now that the other issues have mostly worked their way out, eyes are making their way back to Heinicke, who is eligible to return to the main roster after his time on the non-football injury list.
The information was passed along by Chris Tomasson from the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter, who revealed Heinicke will likely start practicing on Wednesday.
Source: Rick Spielman wants Taylor Heinicke to resume practice Wed sted today because today lite workout/Wed heavier Then start 21-day clock
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) October 17, 2016
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Of course, Minnesota Vikings fans will remember the story regarding Heinicke’s injury. The backup quarterback ‘helped’ a friend get into his apartment by kicking his way in, resulting in the young man getting a cast on his foot and suffering lacerations. This landed him on the non-football injury list.
The quarterback has already started stretching with the team during practices, but the 21 day window will not start until he participates in the regular activities. If Heinicke returns to practice on Wednesday, that means the team will need to make a spot for him on the main roster by November 9th, place him on injured reserve for the season, or release him.
Next: Full game-by-game 2016 Vikings season preview
This will be an interesting situation to continue watching as it develops. Right now, the Minnesota Vikings have two quarterbacks on their main roster (Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill) and will likely wait to see if another injury opens up a spot rather than releasing a player. All that hinges on whether or not the team wants him on the roster…or if he is healthy enough to go there.