Dwayne Haskins was the Redskins first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft with thoughts of him being the franchise’s quarterback of the future. The need for Haskins was made after Alex Smith suffered a devastating and career-threatening leg injury in 2018.
Smith has been battling through rehab for a chance to resume his playing career. And if he proves to be healthy, recently hired head coach Ron Rivera does not want to forget about the veteran quarterback for the 2020 season.
“I also don’t want to forget Alex Smith,” Rivera told Team 980 on a potential quarterback competition. “Here’s a guy that’s doing everything he can to come back, and if Alex can come back and be the player that he was we have a good situation, we have competition at that position.”
This is not the first time Rivera has mentioned Smith in regards to the Redskins’ quarterback situation for 2020.
Haskins had his up and downs as a rookie, playing in nine games and starting seven. He led Washington to two of the team’s three wins on the year. He also showed improvement as the season went on, throwing five touchdowns and one interception in his final three starts.
“I want to see him start taking the leadership mantle,” Rivera said of Haskins. “It’s one the things I said in my first press conference. You know he’s got the skill set, he’s shown he’s got the ability.”
Smith is owed $16 million in 2020 and holds a $21.4 million cap hit for the Redskins. So there are reasons to consider Smith, if healthy, and plenty of reasons why Smith would want a chance to get back on the field.
As Haskins works to prove he is a franchise-caliber quarterback, he may have to fend off Smith in training camp and preseason if the opportunity presents itself.
