Maybe former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ NFL career isn’t dead yet.
If you are reading this, you likely know the career ark of Haskins. He was taken with the No. 15 pick by Washington in the 2019 NFL draft. He had some glimpses of a first-round pick, but his inconsistent play and off-the-field shenanigans resulted in a short leash that eventually ran out. He was released by Washington and found his way to Pittsburgh eventually.
And that’s where Haskins remains. It was pretty clear that Haskins was the third option behind starter Ben Roethlisberger and backup Mason Rudolph this past season, but Roethlisberger just played the last game of his NFL career. And while you might assume that means either the Steelers will bring in a free agent, draft a quarterback high in the 2022 NFL draft, or hand the keys to Rudolph, that doesn’t appear to be a slam dunk.
In fact, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, he’s been impressed with Haskins and says he’ll be in the mix for the starting spot this fall.
“Both guys (Rudolph and Haskins) have had their moments, but they’ll have to prove that, not only in the team development process, but through playing itself,” Tomlin said in a press conference this past week. “They are guys that started – I wouldn’t characterize them as everyday starters – and so they’ll be given an opportunity to establish themselves.
“There’s going to be a competition. There always is, but I think both guys have positioned themselves to fight that fight with what they’ve done from a work standpoint and a professionalism standpoint in 2021.”
For Haskins, he seems to be welcoming the news, saying the right things as a competitor in the arena.
“I definitely feel like I can be a starter in this league,” Haskins said in media availability this past week. “I got drafted for that reason. I really believe I have the talent to. I believe I can play with the best of them. I really just haven’t put it all together yet. And I know I have to do that if I want to put myself in a position to play.”
Dwayne Haskins had some exit meetings (not Tomlin yet) and has been told he'll compete with Mason Rudolph. He said he got to showcase his mobility as the scout team QB this year when he mimicked guys like Pat Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) January 19, 2022
And so, we’ll keep an eye on whether Haskins can get another shot to showcase what he can do. It should be an interesting offseason for the Steelers and we all know how plans can change. However, it appears as though the former Heisman finalist at least has his foot in the door and will get an opportunity.
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