From First Round Pick to NFL outcast, a Look at the Dwayne Haskins Story with Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team have parted ways with their 23-year old quarterback Dwayne Haskins the past week. He was picked in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft and was expected to be the man who saves them

He was one of Ohio State’s top-rated quarterbacks and arrived in the American capital with great expectations. 16 games later, new Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera confirmed that Haskins will be released on an immediate basis at this point of the 2020 NFL season.

“This afternoon I met with Dwayne and informed him that we would be releasing him. I told him that I believe it benefits both parties that we go our separate ways. We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions these last two seasons and wish him well moving forward,” Rivera said earlier this week in a brief statement.

But where did it all start to go wrong for Haskins? Here’s a brief timeline of his NFL stint in Washington.

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Washington Football Team part ways with underperforming Dwayne Haskins

Haskins ended his 2019 season with Ohio State as third in the Heisman Trophy final shortlist. He signed a four-year rookie deal with Washington and was given the number 7 jersey, which was unofficially retired in honour of former quarterback Joe Theismann, whose career ended with a leg injury in 1985.

He made his NFL debut in Week 4 of the 2019 season against the New York Giants. Haskins was brought on in place of QB Case Keenum who was having a bad day at the office. Haskins did not do any better either. The youngster threw for 107 yards against three interceptions, including a pick-six. His first league appearance ended in a 24–3 loss against the Giants.

Fast forward to 2020 and coach Ron Rivera had already demoted Haskins to third-choice QB behind Kyle Allen and Alex Smith. However, things hit a new low after Haskins was caught up in an off-field incident. He was found to be in violation of the league’s COVID-19 protocols and was fined accordingly by Washington officials.

What lies in store for Haskins in the coming years?

Dec 27, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) looks on from the sidelines after being benched against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Coach Rivera gave him another chance and started him on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. That ended in misery as Haskins was brought off in the fourth quarter Taylor Heinicke. Haskins went 14 of 28, throwing for 154 yards and two interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 36.9 as his team lost by a 20-13 margin.

This would be his final appearance for Washington as coach Rivera announced his decision to cut Haskins a day later.

“[I] Gotta be accountable for the decisions you make in life, and be able to move forward and make the best decisions.”

“I have no doubt in my mind that I can overcome this, grow and become a better person, a better athlete, a better quarterback, and a better leader because of this. That’s something I’m praying and working on to show. I’m hoping that a new change in scenery will help with that,” Haskins told WUSA9 in an interview earlier this week.

It remains to be seen if any other NFL team will take a gamble and bring in Haskins in the near future. But this definitely could be the end of the line for the once-promising college football prospect.

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