Washington Football Team: Why benching Dwayne Haskins shows team’s progress

You read that headline right. This move is just the type of move the Washington Football Team needed.

Don’t get me wrong. I would have liked to have seen Dwayne Haskins get the entire season as the starter. In my mind, that would have lead to one of two positive outcomes: either Haskins proves he can be a long-term starter or the WFT have a top-10 pick in each round of the 2021 draft.

Frankly, I was rooting for the first. I was hoping they’d found a long-term answer at quarterback because they haven’t had that guy in living memory. Not since Sonny Jurgensen has this organization had a bona fide, top-tier, franchise quarterback locked up on a long-term deal that they both deserved throughout.

Theismann was a solid player but was only a pro-bowler twice in his career. And his career was cut short by a catastrophic leg injury. Cousins showed promise, but they didn’t think he was worth the money. Griffin had one great year but got hurt and he and the coaching staff couldn’t get along.

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The string of journeymen between Griffin and Rypien is longer than the Fellowship of the Ring and filled with more disappointments than a J.J. Abrams Star Wars film. Even Rypien only had four full seasons as the Washington starter, and really only played as an above-average quarterback in his two pro-bowl seasons.

The fanbase can rightfully debate whether or not Rivera pulled the plug on Haskins too early. We can debate whether Haskins was given a fair shake. We can debate whether this move was short-sighted or motivated by a personality clash or an ego trip.

But make no mistake about what is the most important part of this decision. This decision proves that Ron Rivera has full and complete football autonomy over the Washington Football Team.

Haskins was Dan Snyder’s pick. He wasn’t Jay Gruden’s pick, or Bruce Allen’s pick. He certainly wasn’t Kyle Smith’s pick. He was Snyder’s pick. Just like RGIII was Snyder’s pick. If Shanahan would have gotten his way, Washington would have picked Russell Wilson. Let that sink in. Snyder picked Haskins.

And the fact that Rivera is benching (and banishing to the inactive list) Snyder’s prize QB is evidence that he has, for now, more control over the football operation than any coach or executive has had during Dan Snyder’s reign of terror. Dan isn’t pulling the strings right now for the Washington Football Team’s football operations.

That’s the good news. And things will be improving in Washington for as long that remains true.