LANDOVER, Md. Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins opened the day as a starter with a chance to cash in on himself. He stopped asking a lot of questions about his future and called the last week the toughest of his life.
Washington put Haskins on the bench in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 20-13 defeat to the Carolina Panthers. He completed 14 of the 28 passes for 154 yards and two interceptions.
“Definitely the hardest week of my life. I just want to bounce back and move forward and pray and get my life back on track,” said Haskins. “I can’t really put into words how I feel right now.”
Coach Ron Rivera is not yet sure who will start next Sunday’s season finale for Washington (6-9) in Philadelphia. When Alex Smith’s tense right calf is healthy, he will start. But when Smith can’t play, Rivera was noncommittal about who would start.
“You sign up for this job, so it is what it is,” said Haskins, speaking to reporters from his home after Sunday’s loss. ‘Sometimes being human is not enough. You have to face up to your responsibilities and mistakes and put your best foot forward and pray for a chance … You never know when you’ll get another. ‘
Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Haskins had not turned down requests to speak to the media and was told that backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke would meet with reporters and that Haskins could go home.
Haskins was downcast during his video conference call and clearly understood the opportunity that had been missed just a week after he got it.
But after violating another COVID-19 protocol – he didn’t wear a mask at his girlfriend’s birthday party where more than 10 people attended – he was fined $ 40,000 and stripped of his captaincy. Then, Sunday, he was sitting on the couch.
“We couldn’t get anything going, so I decided to make the change,” Rivera said.
Rivera had hoped Smith could return on Sunday. After missing last week’s game with a tense right calf, Smith fully trained Friday, but felt sore on Saturday.
‘We were actually hoping [Smith would play], and it didn’t work out, ”Rivera said.
All the while, Rivera was clear that Haskins would start if Smith couldn’t play. The other options were undeveloped rookie-free agent Steven Montez, who has never played in a game for a moment, and Heinicke, who hadn’t played in an NFL game since 2018 and spent last winter in the XFL.
But Heinicke knew Washington’s attack after playing for coordinator Scott Turner with both Carolina and Minnesota. Rivera eventually turned to Heinicke in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, and he responded by completing 12 of 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Rivera said he hadn’t made the move earlier because of how Haskins finished vs. Seattle last week, completing 23 of 31 passes for 197 yards in the second half from a 20-15 loss.
“I wanted to see him come in Q3 and see if he could pick up the energy he had last week,” Rivera said.
That did not happen.
“We just didn’t click,” Haskins said. “I wish I could go back and change some things, but it’s over now.”
When asked what he wanted to see from Haskins, Rivera said with one word, “Improvement.”
Sunday was not the time to fully assess Haskins’s future. But his season didn’t turn out the way he or Rivera hoped. Multiple sources have said the first round of 2019 Draft Pick needs to prepare much better as an NFL quarterback and they want him to grow up. Haskins has two more years on his rookie contract and was in no mood to look beyond this season.
“That’s not a question I have to answer,” he said. ‘I’m here. I look forward to next week. ‘