Report: Washington's Fitzpatrick not expected back before Week 10

The Washington Football Team will continue to rely on Taylor Heinicke for the foreseeable future.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who entered the season as the club's starter, is still weeks away from returning from a hip injury suffered in the season opener, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The 38-year-old isn't expected to return until after the Week 9 bye, added Rapoport. Washington reportedly hoped Fitzpatrick would be ready to play by now, but the veteran remains on crutches.

Heinicke helped the NFC East team to a 2-2 start while putting together several impressive performances. But the 28-year-old has struggled over the past two weeks, completing just 55% of his passes for one touchdown and three interceptions while averaging 5.38 yards per attempt as Washington has slipped to 2-4.

Kyle Allen is the only other quarterback on the roster. He started 13 games from 2018-19 for the Carolina Panthers under Washington head coach Ron Rivera and made four starts for Washington in 2020.