PITTSBURGH – Dwayne Haskins, a first-round draft pick in 2019, has agreed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers after meeting with the team on Thursday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The quarterback was released by the Washington football team less than a month ago, a day after being defeated by the Carolina Panthers. He had been 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 breach of COVID-19 protocols and lost his captaincy.
He still started against the Panthers, but played poorly and stayed on the bench. Haskins was demoted in favor of a player, Taylor Heinicke, who signed for the Washington training squad less than a month earlier. Haskins was abruptly released the day after the loss to Carolina.
“I told him I think it benefits both sides that we go separate ways,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said in a statement at the time. “We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions over the last 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 player because of that experience.”
Haskins, who finished 15th in Washington in 2019 and was often criticized for his lack of work ethic, had a tumultuous tenure with his first NFL team.
His selection was driven by owner Dan Snyder, who goes against the wishes of the franchise footballer. Ohio State coaches told coaches it would take him a while to mature as a professional and that the organization intended to make him sit all season debuting.
But injuries to other quarterbacks and a bad history caused Haskins to start seven games as a rookie. After a disastrous initial projection, Haskins ended up with two good starts to close out his season. In these games, he posted a combined total of 74.8 QBR. But his QBR total for the season was 28 and this season was 31.
Last season, Rivera said Haskins had franchise quarterback talent, but he needed to be more of a leader. Rivera was pleased with what he saw of Haskins in the offseason. Haskins received all the first team representatives on the training ground and was named a starter in late August, although Rivera said he would have opened it to a competition if there had been pre-season matches.
Haskins started the first four games, throwing four touchdown passes to three interceptions but with a total QBR 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 incumbent Kyle Allen broke his ankle. Haskins relieved injured Alex Smith in the second half of a Dec. 13 win over San Francisco. Haskins started the next two games, but did not play well. In its final start, the 20-13 defeat against Carolina, recorded a total QBR of 4.1.
Haskins, 23, is represented by Brian Levy, who is also Mike Tomlin’s agent.
With his signing, the Steelers indicate they will focus on a future without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, either this year or soon after. The likely future Hall of Fame has a one-year contract, but has yet to determine its future with the team. After the loss of wildcards, Roethlisberger said he would pray for the decision and consult with his family. He added that if he decides to return, he hopes the Steelers want him back as well.
With third-string quarterback Josh Dobbs arriving at the free agency in March, the Steelers will have Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph and Haskins on the roster for 2021, though Roethlisberger charges a $ 41.2 million limit. dollars.
This report used information from John Keim of ESPN.