Redskins coach Ron Rivera reportedly likes Dwayne Haskins as QB

There’s been some speculation that perhaps Dwayne Haskins isn’t safe under the Redskins new regime, but it might not be that simple.

Dwayne Haskins will have to earn more responsibility from Ron Rivera. That much was made clear in the Washington Redskins head coach’s introductory press conference in early January. But it’s important not to run with that, and make the assumption that Haskins won’t be the starter. In fact, reports from an insider directly conflict with that notion.

In his weekly mailbag, Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, who has a good track record with insider info, was asked about the Redskins and Giants quarterback situations with Haskins and Daniel Jones, respectively. Here’s what Pauline said, in regards to Washington’s situation:

"I’m told two things about Rivera and the Redskins front office the way it is presently assembled: 1) they like Haskins; and 2) they love the Predator, Chase Young."

This aligns with what Rivera said about Haskins in his introductory press conference, stating that Haskins, to him, had franchise-type potential. Haskins is far from a finished product, but the team spent a first-round pick on him last April, and they’re in no position to start over at signal caller. The best they can do is keep adding pieces to support Haskins, while filling out the defensive side of the ball.

It’s also worth noting that if the Redskins like Chase Young at No. 2, then they aren’t planning on performing a similar maneuver to the 2019 Arizona Cardinals, and ditching their incumbent young quarterback for another incoming rookie. If Young is the favorite, then there’s no capital left to use on a quarterback with starting potential, thus clearing the way for Haskins to keep the role.

Haskins displayed growth both on and off the field over the course of the 2019 regular season. He entered the league in need of maturation and calibration to the pace of the NFL, and by Week 16, his last start, he’d clearly made progress in both areas. Haskins had a better command of the offense on the field, and a better focus off of it, and his overall game showed more polish, allowing his best traits, such as his arm strength and toughness, to show out.

The Redskins, under Ron Rivera, have wasted no time in putting together a competent support staff for Haskins. Ken Zampese was recently hired as the team’s quarterbacks coach, and he’s well-known as a coach who gets the best out of young quarterbacks. He did wonders for Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, and he’s also largely credited for facilitating Baker Mayfield’s rookie-year dominance. Conversely, his removal from the Browns staff is believed to have contributed to Mayfield’s regression.

Zampese is joined by newly-hired offensive coordinator Scott Turner, who isn’t as proven, but has some things going for him as an assistant coach. He’s young and innovative, and yet, he has a background deeply rooted in some of the most extensive offensive coaching trees in NFL history, tracing back to Don Coryell and Mike Martz.

Rivera’s early commitment to surrounding Haskins with sensible voices shows that they’re prepared to move forward with him as their quarterback. Doing so takes one need off the table for good, and allows the team to move on to its next stage of development.