By Avi Carr-Gloth

Taken with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Dwayne Haskins had high expectations in Washington. He had just set numerous records for Ohio State and the Big Ten in his sophomore season and first year as a starter.

In the 2018 season he threw 50 touchdown passes with 4,831 passing yards, shattering previous school and conference marks. He finished third in Heisman trophy voting and was one of just six college quarterbacks to ever throw 50 touchdowns in a season.

When the Giants took quarterback Daniel Jones over Haskins with the 6th pick in 2019, New York was ablaze with criticism on passing up the best quarterback not named Kyler Murray. Haskins had the size and college success to be the face of a franchise.

It also helped that he was from the area and would be playing close to his hometown of Potomac, Maryland.

However, in a span of just 20 months, Haskins went from Washington’s next quarterback savior to being jobless in December.

Haskins is not solely responsible for his ineptitude. From the moment Haskins got to Washington, it felt like an arranged marriage.

Haskins opted for the draft in 2019 before graduating and had only started 14 games in college, causing Washington’s decision makers to hesitate on drafting him. Reports surfaced that Haskins was a favorite of owner Dan Snyder because he went to high school in Maryland with Snyder’s son. At the time, head coach Jay Gruden needed to win to save his job and didn’t want to start a quarterback he viewed as a project. The coaching staff wanted him to sit his first season  and learn the nuances of being a quarterback in the NFL due to his inexperience.

When Ron Rivera was hired, he inherited a quarterback he played no part in drafting. The pandemic limited the amount of time the new coaching staff had with Haskins on the field entering the season. Rivera was hired to establish a new culture for an organization undergoing a rocky offseason, and that’s putting it mildly.

Not only did Haskins struggle on the field, but the lack of production gave him no legs to stand on in the leadership role a quarterback is expected to take. Rivera knew his team needed not only a producer at quarterback, but also a leader that comes with the position as well, so he benched Haskins and went with the veteran Alex Smith, who has since led the Washington Football Team on a respectable hunt for a division title in a weak NFC East division.

After Week 15’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks Haskins was fined $40,000 and was stripped of his captainship for violating COVID-19 protocols. He was attending a private party without a mask surrounded by others who were also maskless. This was the second time this season Haskins was fined for violating team protocols after making a reservation for a family friend at the team’s hotel on the road. Players are not allowed to visit anyone outside the team’s traveling party on road trips. Although he was never in physical contact with his family friend, Haskins’ actions were not that of an NFL team captain.

Washington went 3-10 with Haskins as a starter over nearly two seasons. This season Haskins threw for 1,439 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions across seven games and six starts. Washington went 1-5 with Haskins starting this season. Remarkably, Washington is still one win away from winning their division and hosting a playoff game despite their losing record of 6-9 and Haskins’ struggles. In addition to leading the division, Alex Smith’s injury comeback and Ron Rivera’s battle with cancer have masked much of the focus on Haskins.

Haskins is still only 23 years old and will very likely get another chance in the NFL. A new team away from his hometown could be the clean slate he needs to be successful.

There were a variety of factors that resulted in Haskins’ release, many of which weren’t his fault.

However, the parts that were his fault require a healthy amount of self-evaluation in order for this former Ohio State star to gain staying power in the pros.

Avi is a sports writer for La Tonique