Alex Smith has been ruled out of the Washington Football Team's playoff clash with Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning Taylor Heinicke will start at quarterback in the NFC wildcard game.

Veteran campaigner Smith was listed as questionable due to a calf injury coming into the Super Wild Card Weekend, and Washington have now confirmed the 36-year-old will be inactive.

Smith dislodged second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the 2020 campaign and has amassed 1,582 passing yards for six touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

With Haskins having been released in December, Heinicke was promoted to second choice, and the sixth-year quarterback performed impressively during an appearance from the bench in Week 16, albeit he could not help Washington avoid a defeat to the Carolina Panthers.

Washington have not won a playoff game since the 2005 campaign. However, it was the Bucs who they prevailed over on that occasion.

On his second career start, Heinicke will be going up against the NFL's oldest player in Tom Brady, who has enjoyed a brilliant season with Tampa.

Six-time Super Bowl champion Brady threw for 40 touchdowns in the regular season, with the 43-year-old joining Peyton Manning as the only players in league history with 40-plus TD passes in a single year with multiple teams.

Only Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers (three) has had more seasons with 40-plus TD passes than Brady's two.

Tampa have also been boosted by confirmation that wide-receiver Mike Evans, who suffered a knee injury in a Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, is fit to play.