Redskins coach Jay Gruden on QB plan: “We don’t have one right now”
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins have a trepidatious decision to make at the game’s most important position. And the choice won’t get any easier to make.
The Washington Redskins started out the 2019 season with Case Keenum. Keenum was serviceable for a couple of games, but it wasn’t long before he wore out his welcome as the starter, and the team turned to Dwayne Haskins in the first half of the Giants game.
Haskins would go on to have a tumultuous NFL debut, throwing for 107 yards and three interceptions on 17 attempts. Now, heading into an ominous Week 5 battle with the New England Patriots, the Redskins have a choice to make. Do they commit to Haskins, and the highs and lows that come with him? Do they go back to Keenum, after they gave him the hook? Or do they insert Colt McCoy into the lineup, in hopes that trying something new will help?
Jay Gruden was asked about the team’s plan at quarterback in his latest press conference. And Gruden, worn down by the back-to-back losses and the erosion of the team’s very season, was transparently blunt with his answer.
“We don’t have one right now.”
Patriots reporter Nora Princotti relayed the quote across Twitter, where it has quickly garnered attention from other media outlets. The quote is a sad reminder of the current state of the Redskins. The 2019 season is a wash, and would be best spent developing young assets. But Haskins’ development could be stunted if he’s thrown into the fire in a situation too volatile. With Gruden’s job security hanging by a thread each week, the situation shouldn’t be considered rookie friendly.
That said, now that the team inserted the rookie into the lineup last week, there could be risks associated with benching him, if the proper support system isn’t in place, to keep his confidence up. If the Redskins didn’t commit to Haskins at the beginning of the week, then it’s unlikely that they do so later on. But by thrusting Haskins into the game against New York, Washington proved that nothing can be truly ruled out, in their case.
Next. Redskins vs. Patriots: Matchups to watch, score prediction. dark
For now, the Redskins don’t have a plan at the quarterback position, and while that’s expected to change, that tentative plan may not be in place for long, either. The situation at Redskins Park is currently a very unpredictable one. Stick with us, as we’ll keep you in the loop.