Washington Football Team quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will miss the next 6-8 weeks of the season after suffering a hip subluxation in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Timeline update: WFT QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is being placed on injured reserve today, is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with the hip injury he suffered Sunday, per source.

Taylor Heinicke time.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2021

Washington placed Fitzpatrick on injured reserve early Monday and signed quarterback Kyle Shurmur to the practice squad. At the time, there was uncertainty regarding Fitzpatrick’s timeline to return.

When players are placed on IR with the designation to return, they must be out three weeks minimum. So, once the WFT placed Fitzpatrick on IR, this became Taylor Heinicke’s team for the foreseeable future.

Heinicke’s issue is health. In his limited amount of opportunities, he’s always gotten hurt. Part of it is his size combined with his style of play. If he is going to make the most out of this opportunity, he will have to slide and get out of bounds, or, just like last season, Kyle Allen will get his shot.

This is an unfortunate situation for Fitzpatrick and Washington, but Heinicke now has the chance of a lifetime. What he does with it will determine Washington’s fate in 2021.