With the impending retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin their first off-season since 2000 without a defined starter at quarterback. Kordell Stewart was not just benched in favor of Mike Tomczak to finish off the 1999 season, he was reassigned to WR meetings. Tomczak would retire following the season and Kevin Colbert entered his first off-season facing the decision on whether or not to continue moving forward with the talented but inconsistent Stewart, or shift in a different direction.
Colbert is believed to be entering his final season as Steelers General Manager and perhaps faces a similar quandary. And in this case, perhaps there is even more uncertainty as the Steelers have on their roster a QB that possesses all of the talent and skill one could want out of a QB prospect, but equally carries as many question marks in Dwayne Haskins.
As Haskins grew up, he developed a reputation for being one of the hardest working players who emphasized attention to detail. He called his own plays and became a 4-star recruit by throwing for over 5,000 yards and 54 TDs as a senior in high school in Potomac, Maryland. He initially committed to the University of Maryland, but when the head coach was fired, he decided to attend Ohio State and redshirted as a freshman. The following season, Haskins and Joe Burrow competed to be the backup to senior J.T. Barrett. Burrow initially won the competition, but suffered a setback with a broken hand. Haskins moved ahead of Burrow on the depth chart and took over when Barrett was injured in the 3rd quarter to lead Ohio State to a win vs. Michigan. The following spring, the two once again had a direct competition, this time for the starting spot. By all reports, both QBs performed outstanding, but that win in Ann Arbor gave Haskins the advantage and ultimately was the deciding factor for Urban Meyer to name him the starter.
Burrow chose to transfer to LSU and Haskins went on to have the greatest season for a QB in the history of the Big 10, throwing for 4,831 yards, 50 TDs and just 8 INTs as the Buckeyes went 13-1. Also, after initially struggling to pick up the offense, he was still learning and was willing to learn. But against the advice of Meyer and after only one season as a starter, Haskins decided to declare for the NFL Draft. Meyer knew then what most NFL scouts figured out quickly as well, Haskins was not mature enough nor mentally ready for the NFL.
Despite heavy linkages to by many mock drafters for Haskins to go to the New York Giants with the 6th overall pick, the Giants instead selected Daniel Jones. Haskins slid to the Washington Football Team with the 15th pick, where Daniel Snyder directed then head coach Jay Gruden, who pushed back against the selection. Snyder also pressured Gruden into a win now or be fired season, creating a toxic environment for Haskins. He was going to a coaching staff that didn't really want him and was unlikely to see the benefit of developing him.
The situation that Haskins was drafted into did not do him any favors, but Haskins himself contributed more to his own downfall than anyone else. For whatever reason, upon being drafted into the NFL, Haskins became extremely complacent. He was catered to in college and was accused of having a sense of entitlement while in Washington. That hard work, attention to detail and desire to learn seemed to vanish as he was so bad at understanding the playbook, reports surfaced that Washington coaches thought he was dyslexic. His work ethic did not exist and his relationship with Gruden soured quickly, which may have contributed to Gruden sending Haskins out to dry to his only playing time before getting fired. Washington was getting dominated by the Giants and Gruden pulled Case Keenum and arguably set Haskins up to fail badly in a 24-3 Giants win.
The following season, under new coach Ron Rivera, Haskins showed up to camp in shape and ready to compete. He seemed to be poised to take the next step as a professional. He won over a coaching staff that was hesitant to embrace him and was named the starter. Almost immediately, all of the good habits Haskins showed went out the window. He began showing up late to practice, wasn't putting in time in the film room and his reputation would finally catch up with him. The previous season, on the verge of his first win as a starter, Haskins went to the sideline to take a selfie with a fan and missed the call to go out on field to take the final snap in victory formation. This time, after starting the first four games, Haskins was heard by teammates as he bragged about throwing for over 300 yards in a 31-17 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens. Right there, after the best statistical game he had to date as a pro, he lost all respect and credibility amongst his peers and was demoted to 3rd string.
Still after all that, Haskins still got one more opportunity with Washington as he was reinserted as the starter due to injuries to the first and second string QBs. Washington was battling for a division title and playoff spot and Haskins had a solid performance in a near win over the Seattle Seahawks. The next day, images surfaced of Haskins partying in strip club in the middle of a pandemic, the second time that season he was cited for violating NFL protocols. Despite the fallout, Haskins started the next game because Washington had only picked up Taylor Heinicke the previous week, but Heinicke replaced Haskins quickly and outperformed him significantly. Needless to say, that made Haskins expendable and was released the next day.
The Steelers picked up Haskins with a futures contract in January of 2021. Although he did not play all season, the Steelers placed a RFA contract tender on Haskins, meaning any team wishing to sign Haskins would have to surrender a first round pick to the Steelers. According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Haskins has "caught the eye" of Mike Tomlin and Ray Fittipaldo recently reported that Haskins was told in exit meetings that he’ll get the chance compete with longtime backup Mason Rudolph throughout the off-season.
Haskins has the talent and ability to fix his reputation, but he has a lot yet to prove. He indicated to AP News Will Graves that his time with the Steelers was beneficial for him: “It gave me an opportunity to understand the ‘Steelers Way’ and how they wanted their quarterbacks to operate.” Remember, this is the same guy who said that "The league done messed up" on social media after being drafted. Is that drive to be the best still in there, or is he more interested in his brand than his game? If he stayed at Ohio State, would he have matured to be NFL ready and if he went to the right organization, might his story have been different? No one can deny his ability. But the rubber is meeting the road for Haskins now and how he responds might dictate the direction of a franchise.
Do you think the Steelers have a diamond in the rough with Haskins? Or do they need to look elsewhere? Leave a comment below!
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