Dwayne Haskins is free to sign with any NFL team after going unclaimed on waivers Tuesday. Teams have already expressed interest in the former Washington Football quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It’s not surprising teams opted to pass on the $4.3 million guaranteed in salary to Haskins over the next two years. His rookie-scale contract has offsetting language, so if he signs with a new team as a free agent, Washington would pay the difference, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.
Drafted just one year ago in the first round, Haskins was waived Monday after what the 23-year old described as the “hardest” week of his life.
For two years Haskins struggled both on and off the field. He drew the ire of two coaching staffs with his immaturity and lack of preparation. All came to a head the past week, when he attended a party with strippers without a mask, violating league COVID-19 protocols. It was his second violation of the year.
He was fined $40,000 by the team — the most by a player violating coronavirus protocols. The team also stripped him of his captainship. His dreadful performance in Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers proved to be the final straw.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera said releasing Haskins “benefits both parties.”
Haskins tweeted he took “full responsibility for not meeting the standards of a NFL QB.”
Now he is a free agent. His strong arm may be enticing for teams to consider. More importantly, the focus of any inquiring team will surely be about the character concerns that lingered throughout his two-season stint in Washington.
