On Monday, the Washington Football Team made the decision to release quarterback Dwayne Haskins. The choice of ex-No. 15 overall did not last two full seasons in DC, and the final week of his tenure in Washington was defined by a poor game on and off the field. After starting defender Alex Smith suffered a calf injury, Haskins was reinstated on the starting lineup in week 15 for Washington’s clash with the Seattle Seahawks. He shot for 295 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in the 20-15 defeat and, unfortunately, made headlines with what he did after the final whistle.
Haskins was seen in an exotic club without a mask, which was a clear violation of the COVID-19 protocols. He apologized to his teammates for his mistake and was fined and stripped of his title as captain. Haskins then had another chance to start and secure an NFC East title in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, but he played for only 154 yards and two interceptions before being replaced by Taylor Heinicke in the second half. Less than 24 hours later, Haskins found himself without a job.
On Monday afternoon, Haskins spoke with Darren Haynes of WUSA9 to discuss what he described as the “worst week of his life” and to talk about what he is going to get out of this difficult experience.
“You have to be responsible for the decisions you make in life and be able to move on and make the best decisions,” said Haskins. “I have no doubt that I can overcome this, grow and become a better person, a better athlete, a better defender and a better leader because of that. This is something that I am praying and working to show. I hope a new scenario change will help with that. “
Haskins says he feels he has the skills to be a full-fledged NFL defender, but he needs someone to give him a chance once again. He understands that there have been doubts about how he behaves off the field or his work ethic, but the former Ohio State star says he is dedicated to football and does everything necessary to prove his worth to the next team.
“I definitely feel like I have the skills to play as a top-level defender in the NFL, and this is something that I need someone to believe in me and give me the opportunity and I have to deserve this, I have to work at it,” Haskins said. “In no way will it be easy, and I am definitely willing to work to win it, either immediately or in the future. (I) I love playing football, I love the game and I dedicated my life to it and even if there was a question about it before , I will finish these questions later. ”
Haskins will now be exempted, and any team that claims it will be at risk for $ 68,000 for Week 17 and approximately $ 4.3 million fully guaranteed for the remainder of his contract by Dan Graziano from ESPN. We’ll find out this week whether Haskins will get a second chance with another club right away, but he really has a long way to go if he’s going to prove he’s the future leader of a franchise.