Dwayne Haskins must improve to avoid another Washington quarterback conundrum
Dwayne Haskins had a rocky rookie season and in 2020, he has to improve to establish himself as a franchise quarterback.
The Washington Redskins haven’t been able to find a franchise quarterback for quite a while. Over the past 10 years, they’ve invested in the likes of Donovan McNabb, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith, and Dwayne Haskins to be their long-term starters. And those efforts have largely failed.
McNabb was over the hill when the Eagles traded him to Washington. Griffin had a dynamic rookie campaign, but a knee injury and unwillingness to study tape stunted his growth. Cousins was a nice surprise as a fourth-round pick, but he often failed in big moments and he and the team couldn’t negotiate a long-term contract. Smith had a solid stretch as the Washington starter and looked like he could potentially take them to the playoffs before a devastating leg injury knocked him out for a year and a half and may have ended his career.
At this point, those four passers have all moved on from Washington except for Smith. But he won’t play in 2020. Now, the pressure of becoming a franchise quarterback will fall squarely on Haskins.
More from Riggo's Rag
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
- Bet365 VA Bonus Code – Claim $200 Guaranteed With Sign-Up Bonus
Haskins, a 2019 first-round pick at No. 15 overall, endured a tough rookie season. In nine games (seven starts), Haskins logged a 58.6 percent completion rate, 1,365 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions for a struggling Redskins team.
The one-year starter at Ohio State clearly wasn’t ready for the limelight and it looked like the team’s original plan to sit him for a year to develop was well-founded. Unfortunately, injuries pushed him into action on several occasions and after a certain point, interim head coach Bill Callahan just elected to throw him into the fire. He would have to learn on the fly.
The good news for Washington fans is that he did. And late in the season, Haskins put forth some of his strongest efforts as a starter. In his final three games, Haskins logged a 67 percent completion rate, 564 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. And had he not been held out after suffering an ankle injury against the New York Giants in Week 16, he could’ve finished the season even stronger.
That stretch is a source of hope for the franchise. If he can build on that and play more like the player we saw in Weeks 14 to 16 of last season, he well could be a solid starter at the NFL level. But if he regresses or struggles in Scott Turner’s new offense, the team is going to have to consider alternatives at the position after the season.
Essentially, Haskins is facing a make-or-break year. If he sputters again, the ‘Skins will consider moving on from him.
In recent years, teams have been less afraid to acknowledge sunk costs at the quarterback position. The Arizona Cardinals traded Josh Rosen just one season after being a top-10 pick because they had a chance to nab Kyler Murray. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up on Nick Foles one year after signing him to an $80 million contract.
So, precedents do exist from moving on from highly-touted quarterbacks quickly to take a mulligan at the position.
That’s not to say that Haskins will be a sunk cost. He may even improve rapidly, as we saw at the end of last season, and emerge as a quality starter. But if he can’t perform up to par, Washington will be facing another quarterback conundrum.
Next. Steven Montez adds youth, upside to Redskins QB room. dark
All that said, Haskins should improve with another year of experience and his late-season performance should inspire confidence. If Terry McLaurin and Steven Sims continue to grow, that should make Haskins’ job easier as well. But either way, Washington needs Haskins to step up and improve. Because if he doesn’t, they will once again be facing a massive void at the most important position on the field.