Quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been released, per an announcement from the Washington Football Team. The news comes just hours after Haskins was benched and leapfrogged on the depth chart by Taylor Heinicke. 
“This afternoon I met with Dwayne and informed him that we would be releasing him,” head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. “I told him that I believe it benefits both parties that we go our separate ways. We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions these last two seasons and wish him well moving forward.”
Washington had high hopes for Haskins after selecting him in the first round of the 2019 draft. It was a move that the franchise came to regret, and Ron Rivera‘s regime had little reason to keep up appearances. Haskins didn’t inspire confidence in his second pro season and his Week 16 performance put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.
Haskins started on Sunday in place of Alex Smith, completing just 50% of his passes for 154 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also lost a crucial fumble. NFL journeyman Heinicke took his place and looked a whole lot better. If Smith can’t go in the regular season finale, it’ll be Heinicke under center for the WFT.
Per league rules, Haskins will be subject to waivers. If he goes unclaimed in the next 24 hours, he’ll be free to sign with any team. As a first-round pick his initial rookie deal is fully guaranteed, meaning that any team that claims him would be on the hook for $1.8MM in 2021 and $2.46MM in 2022. If he goes unclaimed, it’ll be Washington paying him that money.
With those millions coming his way, it’s probably more likely that any interested teams pass on him on waivers and try to sign him to a cheap non-guaranteed deal instead. It’s a remarkable fall from grace for the former Ohio State star who was the 15th pick in the draft less than two years ago.
There were reports that former coach Jay Gruden’s staff never wanted him, and that he was forced on them by owner Dan Snyder. Obviously, Rivera’s new staff had no connection to the pick, making it easier to cut ties. Due to his college accomplishments and draft pedigree we haven’t heard the last of him, but he also certainly won’t be handed a starting job anywhere after what he’s put on tape the past two years.
He’ll finish his tenure in Washington averaging 6.3 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 16 games and 13 starts. His best bet to salvage his career may be to try to find a team with an aging veteran quarterback he can sit behind with a coaching staff interested in developing him.
wow
Another in a long line of Ohio st QBs that are busts…..
Fields! You’re turn.
I said the same thing, I would never draft a QB from Ohio State
This guy is a real idiot. Had a second chance to win starting job and goes out to a strip club. What a joke
It’s not the strip club incident that got him released… It’s his terrible stats.
id imagine they would at least be willing to keep him on the bench if it was just him struggling
I mean you say that but if I spend a 1st round pick on a QB, give him a chance to start after ruining the first one, and he proceeds to toss 2 picks and goes straight to a strip club after the game instead of watching tape or doing anything to try to get better I’d have a hard time looking past it. Not even taking into account he knowingly partied without a mask before going back to share a locker room with a guy who just finished cancer treatments and has a compromised immune system.
Yes, finally!
total shocker
Not really. He’s terrible. He doesn’t prepare. He isn’t dedicated to the game. Right now he’s just a loser. Hopefully he can get turned around.
Some players just don’t understand how lucky they are
New England?
Jaguars will get first crack at him on the waiver wire and he certainly has more upside than Mike Glennon.
I hope you’re being sarcastic. There is a zero percent chance the Jaguars pick him up for one game when they’re drafting Trevor Lawrence next year. He would serve no purpose.
What? The Jags should be starting Gardner Minshew, who is way better than Haskins will ever be. Minshew’s numbers are far better than Glennon’s. Glennon’s stats are far better than Haskins. Haskins doesn’t look like an NFL QB at this point.
I disagree. Glennon may not be the 2nd coming of Rick Mirer, but he isn’t an idiot either. I bet he prepares himself a lot better and doesn’t forget that the game isn’t over and go over to the stands to take selfies with fans. Haskins makes JaMarcus Russell look like a “steal”.
Rams
I will sum it up this way. Washington is willing to pay him $1.8MM in 2021 and $2.46MM in 2022 to not play for them. That says an awful lot with the keep word being awful.
2 years, $4.2M guaranteed plus a 5th year option. Pittsburgh as a backup to Big Ben makes some sense, IMO.
He’s SO bad. I’d pay him a portion of my salary to stay off the field
5th year option only applies to the drafting team I am pretty sure.
This is another pampered college QB played on a good team that he could run the O confidently. Made it to the NFL and every team has college superstars at most positions. Makes it a bit tougher. I doubt he was first in last out. I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my team.
No. No. No. Absolutely no. I would direct snap to the running backs before taking Haskins.
Anyway, why would you think that makes any sense?
Just think that Urban Meyer ran Joe Burrow out of OSU for Dwayne Haskins.
Maybe the Jets have true interest in Urban Meyer and knew they were going to be able to grab Haskins off the wire as an enticement?
Why would the Jets grab Haskins? Haskins makes Darnild look like a superstar!
Haskins didn’t let down Ohio State. He excelled. He failed Washington.
Dude is dumb as a rock.
This is another cautionary tale for fans who think their team losing guarantees good players. Two years out, the 15 pick of the draft is a bust. What matters most is who is picking the players.
Metsie1 you summed it up perfectly.
True that!
JaMarcus Russell 2.0
Heath Shuler 2.0!
Do I hear Vince Young 2.0?
VY had a promising start to his career. Bad comparison.
As a Raiders’ fan, I can admit that the Raiders needed to be punished. You take a college kid, in the most important professional year of his life, the year he is to be drafted, and is 30+ pounds overweight.
If the kid isn’t motivated enough to get in shape, when he has nothing, what type of motivation will he have when you put $50M in his pocket? -0-.
So when he shows up unmotivated and out of shape for his first camp, who should be surprised?
Paxton Lynch 2.0
What? Look at Lynch’s stats. He’s a decent QB. Haskins is terrible. No comparison.
Took long enough. Another bust
Haskins wasn’t any worse last year than Darnold has been every year. He’s got less upside, but with a good offensive coach who’s actually interested in him, he can at least be a top half backup. He’s clearly handled himself poorly off the field, but has Scott Turner ever shown any gift other than being Norv’s kid? And that’s for a staff that has no investment in him in the weirdest season in recent history. I don’t see him living up to his draft status, but writing him off as just what we’ve seen this year would be silly.
But hey, I recognize this is a holiday for all the commenters on here who love any opportunity to feel superior to a professional athlete.
You have to act like a professional to be considered a professional. Haskins was a joke…unprofessional and selfish.
The fact that they are willing to cut him proves that this is not about performance or how interested Norv’s kid is in Haskins, but about what they have seen throughout the year. I imagine the strip club stuff is par for the course. His talent is the thing that is mostly unquestionable. Dude can sling a ball 60 plus yards! It’s commitment, focus, reliability, accountability, work ethic, etc. All of these things Haskins is responsible for, not Scott Turner. Turner is partially responsible for poor stats and bad play calling only.
One coaching staff’s judgement doesn’t prove things beyond a reasonable doubt. Coaching staffs have made all sorts of goofy moves based on what they’ve seen. I trust this staff’s judgement on defensive players, but these people traded for Kyle Allen and are treating JD McKissic like a number one option. Why are we acting like their judgement is proof a guy is so irredeemable he can’t be saved until the offseason to even trade for a late round pick?
If all those things are strictly the young QB’s responsibility, why do so many old mediocre QBs who’ve never done much always getting paid actual money to “basically be coaches”?
You must be his brother or in his posse. Seem a bit sensitive. The guy has acted like a fool off the field and who knows how he has practiced. I bet it hasn’t been good though. On the bright side you two will have more time to make it rain.
Oh cool, the guy incorrectly guessing how fifth year options work and assuming he’s right is also assuming that his guesses about a stranger’s character are correct. Some of the most successful QBs in recent NFL history have acted a whole lot worse off the field.
Those successful bad boy QB’s are successful first and bad boys second. Haskins wants to be a bad boy and playboy after blowing games, instead of going home and finally learning the playbook. Glad to see the back of him.
I couldn’t find if the fifth year option could still be used after a trade. I did find for sure it is voided if they are cut and signed. HMMMM kind of like this. Plus the stupid ignorant things you have said I wouldn’t take your word for anything. Plus you never denied my post.
Guys don’t get drafted in the first round to be a top half backup. He’s not good. OSU doesn’t develop quarterbacks. They don’t play any competition which makes it difficult.
You second sentence is untrue. Your first sentence is misleading, since Ryan Day changed their offense quite a lot. I still think their offense makes QBs look better than they are, but these last couple aren’t analogous to their whole history of QBs.
They released him to become a strip club manager
WFT:
Time to clear out the DWAYNE !!
Contributions? What were they? LOL!!!
He should go to Detroit so he can start Matt Stanford is not staying there to much longer
Detroit doesn’t want anything to do with him lol.
There’s a very good strip bar scene in Detroit and just across the border. Haskins has told Ian Rapoport he is very interested in signing with the Lions.
Typical overrated Ohio State garbage quarterbacks
I’m not shocked Haskins is out in Washington. It’s pretty clear the new regime doesn’t care for him. The timing is surprising, however. You’d at least think they could keep for the rest of this year so they could try to shop him in the offseason. I’d be stunned if they couldn’t have gotten a 6th or 7th rd pick for him.
Obvious that Rivera is trying to establish a new team vibe and “the league done messed up” never fit in which is why they cut him….(thank God that the Giants didn’t take him although there were many on this site that thought they should have)……to make an example of the type of player that won’t be on a Rivera coached team…would have done far more damage to that team vibe to keep a selfish, inexperienced player like this and as far as getting a 6th or 7th round pick….they typically, but not always are just cannon fodder picks..the type that maybe make special teams so cutting him outweighed the obvious.
Yeah, thank god the Giants drafted someone who can behave himself between fumbles!
It takes more than just talent to play QB at the NFL level. He’s obviously missing most or all of the other qualities needed. Ryan Leaf anyone?
Also seems to be missing the talent.
His college accomplishments? OSU plays nobody every year. He essentially went from high school competition to NFL. Why would anyone be surprised that it didn’t work?
You might be surprised that many, on this site, actually thought he was a top 5 pick in the draft and only the dumbest of teams would pass up on such obvious talent….of course, those commenters never follow up to admit that they were absolutely wrong about this guy who seems to be somewhere between Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell in ability and commitment.
This idiot got what he deserved. Modern day Ryan Leaf
He sounds like the perfect candidate for the New England Patriots! I would be very surprised if Bill doesn’t snatch him up as soon as he clears waivers.
Had to happen, gives him time to find a new team.
I’ve never seen Haskins play…is he worse than Mason Rudolph?
Yes. Rudolph won’t make decisions out of fear of doing something wrong, but he sees the poor decision. Haskins doesn’t see the mistake and throws the ball. I have every confidence Rudolph understands what he’s supposed to do, but lacks the confidence to do it whereas Haskins has a low football IQ and isn’t committed to the game or his teammates.
He’s not even close to as bad as Rudolph.
What got him released was running on to the field like a BOSS and undermining Hienecke. He acted similarly when Keenum started ahead of him as a rookie. Bad teammate- cancer- OBVIOUSLY thought he knew better than anyone else. I like a QB who wants the ball but when he gets it he needs to play like a BOSS.
XFL 2022 here he comes. That’s probably where he belongs.
I could see PIT takin a flier on him.
No way Steelers waste time on a knucklehead who has not performed.
Reading the comment makes me think the guy should have a talk with Ryan Leaf. I hope he avoids the bottoms Ryan found.
Coasted through football until he got to the NFL and thus never learned how to put in the work. Prior to the draft it was said he never really loved playing – but played for the perks that came with being the star quarterback, i.e., fame, money, women.
There are very few things more reliable than an OSU QB failing in the NFL. And before the hate hits, it’s not just OSU, but any of these ‘Wide receivers running open by 10 yards all over the place because of schemes’ types of schools. You could add Bama, Oklahoma and quite a few other schools to the mix.
These QB’s just get so used to guys being wide open they seem to have no concept of how to actually be a QB. It’s painful to watch and a disservice to these kids.
Baker and Kyler are both doing just fine.
Baker is a decent QB when he has one of the best OLs in the game and 3 really good WRs. When he doesn’t he looks like he did yesterday. It is kind of like in college. Clear pocket and wide open receivers until Covid and a couple injuries. All things equal I would take Darnold but hope for other options.
Baker has been full blown good since he got comfortable in a new system with his first NFL caliber head coach, and Landry is the only one of his WRs I’d call “really good” (since OBJ hasn’t been around since Baker got comfortable). And playing with WRs you’ve never played with before is a lot worse than just playing with so so weapons.
There is no way I’d take Darnold over Mayfield. Baker isn’t a top 10 QB, but he’s a good QB. You can win with him.
Steve, it’s easy to lay blame on the QB- and some of that is fair. The mark of a good HC though is being able to tailor your offense to your QBs strengths. It may be harder to get guys open in the pros, but a lot of smart coaches do it. So often it seems the QBs who fail are ones thrust into bad systems, with bad coaching or in unstable organizations. I don’t think it’s where they went to school.
Awful performance by Haskins, but looking at the two NY QBs, he isn’t a lot worse.
This looks like a Belichek project. If he signed him, he’d lay down the law and tell him he’ll cut him 5 minutes after he signs, if he crosses the line. Brown was with them for about 5 minutes, so Haskins would know it was true.
And like Brown, Haskins would get canned within a few weeks.
man this is a bust of epic proportions everybody was high on them some people were mad when the Giants took damn good Jones the thing is number six overall and passed on Haskins man Haskins is just been so bad it’s not even funny but as me being a eagle fan that I am the one good thing Washington can say back to me would be yeah at least we ain’t paying him $128 million that’s when I will just sit there shut my mouth give a nod with my head like yes and then turn around walk away
Haskins is exactly what happens when a player gets a bunch of money but doesn’t care to work hard. He had no desire to be a good NFL QB but rather just wanted to cash those checks.
It’s crazy that people here are so quick to write off Haskins and side with the decision-making of one of the most dysfunctional franchises in all of sports. Take a look at all of the QBs WFT has run through during Snyder’s tenure.
They drafted him knowing he was inexperienced and a ‘project’ but decided to not properly develop him, then barely use him, then (whether justifiably or not) publicly treat him like they were allergic to him.
For everyone mocking him and writing him off after only 13 starts, go look at his stats, then compare them to another ‘project’ first-round QB’s stats: Josh Allen’s. Haskins through 13 games played way better than Allen did in his rookie season. The difference? The Bills properly developed Allen, surrounded him with talent and leadership and good coaching, and now in his third season, he’s flourishing. WFT decided not to do any of that and now they’ve officially wasted a first round pick.
I’m not saying Haskins will ever be as successful as Allen, but those blaming solely Haskins for this need to realize that WFT has not shown any interest in developing quarterback talent in 30 years.
Thank you, rct. I haven’t watched Haskins, but I did live for many years in the DC area and watched as Dan Snyder burned through coaches, QBs, and drafts. He’s a cancer in the game, and his personal dysfunctionality is well known.
It’s not the play which got Haskins canned – heavens now, teams don’t just throw away a first round pick – it’s the attitude. I guess you haven’t watched many Redskins games this year. Haskins has been pouting at the sidelines in most of them. Or last year, interacting with the fans. Haskins doesn’t want to learn: he never needed to up until now. He was the star because he could throw a football sixty yards and take an NCAA hit.
Succeeding in the NFL takes a lot more work. Everyone is a star. The only two QB’s in the NFL who could still start without hard work would be Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. Their natural gifts and feel for the game are high enough. And you’ll probably find that both of them still work very hard at the job of being QB.
One more exception – and this one suggests that sometime somewhere there’s hope that Haskins might play again – Big Ben on the Steelers doesn’t train in the off-season, doesn’t watch his diet and often doesn’t practice. And he has a history of making off the field mistakes as well. Roethlisberger also has a history of poisoning the atmosphere with hard-working and dedicated teammates. Despite some big games, the Killer Bees were dysfunctional as a group. Not sure how much of that to pin on Big Ben.
Roethlisberger did openly come out in an interview in 2018 and say he would never mentor a young QB for the Steelers (Mason Rudolph was the candidate at that time).
Full answer to your question: Does Dwayne Haskins have any value as an NFL quarterback?
If he was a white he’d never of been cut
Jessaumodesto you are a jacka**. I cannot stand people like you. Pathetic comment
jessau…..I guess that is why Johnny Manziel is still in the league. Think before you write stupid sh/t like that!! Do some damn research, fool!!