PITTSBURGH – Dwayne Haskins, a 2019 first round draft pick, agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers after meeting with the team on Thursday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The defender was dismissed by the Washington Football Team less than a month ago, the day after he was eliminated in the loss to the Carolina Panthers. He was photographed without a mask at his girlfriend’s birthday party after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was fined $ 40,000 for his second violation of the COVID-19 protocols and lost his captaincy.
He still started against the Panthers, but he played poorly and was eliminated. Haskins was then demoted in favor of a player, Taylor Heinicke, who signed with the Washington training team less than a month earlier. Haskins was released abruptly the day after the defeat to Carolina.
“I told him that I believe it is beneficial for both parties to go their separate ways,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said in a statement at the time. “We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions over the past two seasons and wish him well.”
In a tweet, Haskins wrote, “I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of an NFL QB and I will become a better player and man because of that experience.”
Haskins, chosen 15th overall by Washington in 2019 and often criticized for his lack of work ethic, had a tumultuous management with his first NFL team.
His choice was driven by owner Dan Snyder, going against the wishes of the franchise’s football team. Ohio State coaches told coaches it would take time to mature as a professional and that the organization intended him to stay seated throughout the debut season.
But injuries from other defenders and a poor track record led Haskins to start seven games as a rookie. After a disastrous performance at the beginning, Haskins ended with two good matches to end his season. In those games, he posted a combined QBR total of 74.8. But his total CBR for the season was 28 and this season was 31.
In the last off-season, Rivera said Haskins had talent as a defender in the franchise, but needed to become more of a leader. Rivera was pleased with what he saw of Haskins in the off-season. Haskins received all of the representatives of the first team on the training ground and was named in late August, although Rivera said he would have opened the competition if there were pre-season games.
Haskins started the first four games, throwing four touchdown passes and three interceptions, but with a total of 29.8. Several sources said they felt he was celebrating his first 300-yard game in the locker room after a 14-point loss to Baltimore.
Rivera put him on the bench the following week; he was inactive for the next four games until titleholder Kyle Allen broke his ankle. Haskins replaced injured Alex Smith in the second half of the December 13 victory over San Francisco. Haskins started the next two games, but did not play well. In his final match, the 20-13 loss to Carolina, he posted a total CBR of 4.1.
Haskins, 23, is represented by Brian Levy, who is also Mike Tomlin’s agent.
With his signing, Steelers signals that he is focusing on a future without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger – this year or soon thereafter. The likely future Hall of Famer has another year of contract, but he has not yet determined his future with the team. After the loss of the wild card, Roethlisberger said he would pray about the decision and consult his family. He added that if he decides to return, he hopes the Steelers will also want him to return.
With third-quarter quarterback Josh Dobbs hitting the free agency in March, the Steelers are expected to have Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph and Haskins on the roster for 2021, although Roethlisberger comes with a $ 41.2 million limit charge.
Information from ESPN’s John Keim was used in this report.