Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins wants the weight on his shoulders
By Ian Cummings
One could argue it’s been thirty years since the Redskins had their last franchise quarterback, and one could argue it’s been even longer.
Over the unforgiving course of Dan Snyder’s tenure as owner, the Redskins have continuously attempted to institute stability at the quarterback position. That saga has, however, instead erected a list of failures to reference. A list of names who tried, but ultimately didn’t.
By now, the list spans thirty years, and it is non-discriminatory. It features first-round picks like Heath Shuler, Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell, and Robert Griffin III. Journeymen such as Gus Frerotte and Kirk Cousins. High-pedigree offseason acquisitions like Mark Brunell, Donovan McNabb, and Alex Smith.
All of these players reside on the list for different reasons. Some circumstances of failure were less fortunate than others. Some may have flourished, if given more time to prove themselves. But once the name becomes stone, it does not change back. And it adopts the weight of stone itself, each one growing more and more taxing, on the backs of fans who long for some kind of hope. Any hope at all.
Haskins, for now, is the next name on that list. He hasn’t succeeded yet. And while he has the traits to do so, the weight can overwhelm anyone. By 2021, the Redskins could speak of their quarterback position as a need again. As if they hadn’t done the same for years and years before.