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Upon the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers began their first off-season since 2000 without a defined starter at quarterback. With Kevin Colbert entering his final season as Steelers General Manager and uncertainty at the position, the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky and have done their due diligence on all of the top prospects heading into the 2022 NFL Draft.
Trubisky, the former #2 overall pick of the 2018 Chicago Bears, appears to be the favorite of the Steelers quarterback competition, and it will be a second chance for the once highly touted prospect to revive his NFL career after a year of sitting and learning. But he was not the only former first round pick on the Steelers who came out of college early after a spectacular season and considered to possess all of the talent and skill one could want out of a prospect with Dwayne Haskins.
Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins. | AP Photo / Brian Westerholt
As Haskins grew up, he developed a reputation for being one of the hardest working players who emphasized attention to detail. He called his own plays and became a 4-star recruit by throwing for over 5,000 yards and 54 TDs as a senior in high school in Potomac, Maryland. He initially committed to the University of Maryland, but when the head coach was fired, he decided to attend Ohio State and redshirted as a freshman. The following season, Haskins and Joe Burrow competed to be the backup to senior J.T. Barrett. Burrow initially won the competition, but suffered a setback with a broken hand. Haskins moved ahead of Burrow on the depth chart and took over when Barrett was injured in the 3rd quarter to lead Ohio State to a win vs. Michigan. The following spring, the two once again had a direct competition, this time for the starting spot. By all reports, both QBs performed outstanding, but that win in Ann Arbor gave Haskins the advantage and ultimately was the deciding factor for Urban Meyer to name him the starter.
Burrow chose to transfer to LSU and Haskins went on to have the greatest season for a QB in the history of the Big 10, throwing for 4,831 yards, 50 TDs and just 8 INTs as the Buckeyes went 13-1. Despite aspects about the Buckeyes’ offense that he initially struggled with, he still achieved a remarkable season through a combination of outstanding physical ability and a willingness to learn. While it was a record shattering season, the reality is that it was only one season and Meyer knew Haskins had a lot more to learn. It is one thing to succeed in the highly coordinated and organized structure of college football where a head coach like Meyer has more control. It is another thing to have the maturity to handle all of the responsibilities on your own. Meyer knew Haskins was not mentally ready for the NFL, but Haskins went against the advice of his head coach and declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Many scouts quickly realized that Meyer was correct in his assessment, because normally a quarterback prospect with the physical attributes of Haskins would not drop out of the top 3. Despite heavy linkages to by many mock drafters for Haskins to go to the New York Giants with the 6th overall pick, the Giants selected Daniel Jones. Instead, he slid to the Washington Commanders with the 15th pick, where Daniel Snyder directed then head coach Jay Gruden to select Haskins against Gruden’s wishes. Gruden and his coaching staff were in a no win situation, as they were under a win now or be fired season and yet forced to select a player they did not really want. Under Snyder, Washington had always been and continues to be one of the most unstable organizations in the NFL, but it was only more of a toxic situation Haskins was headed to, as the coaching staff already did not really want him, nor were they likely to be around to see the benefit of developing him.
Commanders draft Maryland native Dwayne Haskins. | WUSA9
The situation that Haskins was drafted into did not do him any favors, but Haskins himself contributed more to his own downfall than anyone else. For whatever reason, upon being drafted into the NFL, Haskins became extremely complacent. He was catered to in college and was accused of having a sense of entitlement while in Washington. That hard work, attention to detail and desire to learn seemed to vanish as he was so bad at understanding the playbook, reports surfaced that Washington coaches thought he was dyslexic. His work ethic did not exist and his relationship with Gruden soured quickly, which may have contributed to Gruden sending Haskins out to dry to his only playing time before getting fired. Washington was getting dominated by the Giants and Gruden pulled Case Keenum and arguably set Haskins up to fail badly in a 24-3 Giants win.
The following season, under new head coach Ron Rivera, Haskins showed up to camp in shape and ready to compete. He seemed to be poised to take the next step as a professional. He won over a coaching staff that was hesitant to embrace him and was named the starter. Almost immediately, all of the good habits Haskins showed went out the window. He began showing up late to practice, wasn’t putting in time in the film room and his reputation would finally catch up with him. The previous season, on the verge of his first win as a starter, Haskins went to the sideline to take a selfie with a fan and missed the call to go out on field to take the final snap in victory formation. This time, after starting the first four games, Haskins was heard by teammates as he bragged about throwing for over 300 yards in a 31-17 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens. Right there, after the best statistical game he had to date as a pro, he lost all respect and credibility amongst his peers and was demoted to 3rd string.
Still after all that, Haskins still got one more opportunity with Washington as he was reinserted as the starter due to injuries to the first and second string QBs. Washington was battling for a division title and playoff spot and Haskins had a solid performance in a near win over the Seattle Seahawks. The next day, images surfaced of Haskins partying in strip club in the middle of a pandemic, the second time that season he was cited for violating NFL protocols. Despite the fallout, Haskins started the next game because Washington had only picked up Taylor Heinicke the previous week, but Heinicke replaced Haskins quickly and outperformed him significantly. Needless to say, that made Haskins expendable and was released the next day.
After the tumultuous run with Washington ended, Haskins quickly latched on with the Steelers. He was signed to a futures contract in January of 2021 and showed glimpses of his ability in the 2021 preseason. The expectations of Haskins were low, there was never any consideration of him starting over Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph predictably won the back-up role. Although he did not play a down in 2021, he “caught the eye” of head coach Mike Tomlin and won the respect of his teammates with an infectious positive attitude and willingness to work hard. He would perform the scout team role and was asked to mimic Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to help the defense better prepare.
After the season, the Steelers signed Haskins to a one-year restricted free agent tender. Tomlin acknowledged the work of Haskins and stated that he would have the opportunity to compete for the starting role. Haskins felt he learned a lot from not playing and was approaching the 2022 season with a completely different mindset than what he experienced in Washington.
Haskins went from arguably the worst environment in the NFL to the best. From an organization that is consistently mired in controversy and failed to produce a winning football team under Snyder, to one synonymous with stability and winning under Art Rooney II. While Haskins was definitely to blame for his mistakes, by all accounts he was owning up to those mistakes and was doing everything he could to revive his career. It’s reasonable to wonder if Haskins began his career with the Steelers and found himself with an organization that provided an environment of accountability and stability, perhaps his entire journey would have already looked quite different.
The Steelers signed Trubisky after a year of watching and learning as a back-up with the Buffalo Bills and willing to give him the opportunity to make the most of his second chance. They were also giving Haskins the same opportunity to prove himself worthy of being a starter in the NFL.
Tragically, we will never know the outcome of Haskins’ hard work and effort after his tragic passing at only 24 years old. He won the respect of his teammates and coaches and seemed to put his past mistakes behind him. He earned respect that as an immature man once thought he was entailed to and will forever be left to wonder: “What if?”
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Trubisky, the former #2 overall pick of the 2018 Chicago Bears, appears to be the favorite of the Steelers quarterback competition, and it will be a second chance for the once highly touted prospect to revive his NFL career after a year of sitting and learning. But he was not the only former first round pick on the Steelers who came out of college early after a spectacular season and considered to possess all of the talent and skill one could want out of a prospect with Dwayne Haskins.
Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins. | AP Photo / Brian Westerholt
As Haskins grew up, he developed a reputation for being one of the hardest working players who emphasized attention to detail. He called his own plays and became a 4-star recruit by throwing for over 5,000 yards and 54 TDs as a senior in high school in Potomac, Maryland. He initially committed to the University of Maryland, but when the head coach was fired, he decided to attend Ohio State and redshirted as a freshman. The following season, Haskins and Joe Burrow competed to be the backup to senior J.T. Barrett. Burrow initially won the competition, but suffered a setback with a broken hand. Haskins moved ahead of Burrow on the depth chart and took over when Barrett was injured in the 3rd quarter to lead Ohio State to a win vs. Michigan. The following spring, the two once again had a direct competition, this time for the starting spot. By all reports, both QBs performed outstanding, but that win in Ann Arbor gave Haskins the advantage and ultimately was the deciding factor for Urban Meyer to name him the starter.
Burrow chose to transfer to LSU and Haskins went on to have the greatest season for a QB in the history of the Big 10, throwing for 4,831 yards, 50 TDs and just 8 INTs as the Buckeyes went 13-1. Despite aspects about the Buckeyes’ offense that he initially struggled with, he still achieved a remarkable season through a combination of outstanding physical ability and a willingness to learn. While it was a record shattering season, the reality is that it was only one season and Meyer knew Haskins had a lot more to learn. It is one thing to succeed in the highly coordinated and organized structure of college football where a head coach like Meyer has more control. It is another thing to have the maturity to handle all of the responsibilities on your own. Meyer knew Haskins was not mentally ready for the NFL, but Haskins went against the advice of his head coach and declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Many scouts quickly realized that Meyer was correct in his assessment, because normally a quarterback prospect with the physical attributes of Haskins would not drop out of the top 3. Despite heavy linkages to by many mock drafters for Haskins to go to the New York Giants with the 6th overall pick, the Giants selected Daniel Jones. Instead, he slid to the Washington Commanders with the 15th pick, where Daniel Snyder directed then head coach Jay Gruden to select Haskins against Gruden’s wishes. Gruden and his coaching staff were in a no win situation, as they were under a win now or be fired season and yet forced to select a player they did not really want. Under Snyder, Washington had always been and continues to be one of the most unstable organizations in the NFL, but it was only more of a toxic situation Haskins was headed to, as the coaching staff already did not really want him, nor were they likely to be around to see the benefit of developing him.
Commanders draft Maryland native Dwayne Haskins. | WUSA9
The situation that Haskins was drafted into did not do him any favors, but Haskins himself contributed more to his own downfall than anyone else. For whatever reason, upon being drafted into the NFL, Haskins became extremely complacent. He was catered to in college and was accused of having a sense of entitlement while in Washington. That hard work, attention to detail and desire to learn seemed to vanish as he was so bad at understanding the playbook, reports surfaced that Washington coaches thought he was dyslexic. His work ethic did not exist and his relationship with Gruden soured quickly, which may have contributed to Gruden sending Haskins out to dry to his only playing time before getting fired. Washington was getting dominated by the Giants and Gruden pulled Case Keenum and arguably set Haskins up to fail badly in a 24-3 Giants win.
The following season, under new head coach Ron Rivera, Haskins showed up to camp in shape and ready to compete. He seemed to be poised to take the next step as a professional. He won over a coaching staff that was hesitant to embrace him and was named the starter. Almost immediately, all of the good habits Haskins showed went out the window. He began showing up late to practice, wasn’t putting in time in the film room and his reputation would finally catch up with him. The previous season, on the verge of his first win as a starter, Haskins went to the sideline to take a selfie with a fan and missed the call to go out on field to take the final snap in victory formation. This time, after starting the first four games, Haskins was heard by teammates as he bragged about throwing for over 300 yards in a 31-17 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens. Right there, after the best statistical game he had to date as a pro, he lost all respect and credibility amongst his peers and was demoted to 3rd string.
Still after all that, Haskins still got one more opportunity with Washington as he was reinserted as the starter due to injuries to the first and second string QBs. Washington was battling for a division title and playoff spot and Haskins had a solid performance in a near win over the Seattle Seahawks. The next day, images surfaced of Haskins partying in strip club in the middle of a pandemic, the second time that season he was cited for violating NFL protocols. Despite the fallout, Haskins started the next game because Washington had only picked up Taylor Heinicke the previous week, but Heinicke replaced Haskins quickly and outperformed him significantly. Needless to say, that made Haskins expendable and was released the next day.
Haskins makes his way to the Steelers
After the tumultuous run with Washington ended, Haskins quickly latched on with the Steelers. He was signed to a futures contract in January of 2021 and showed glimpses of his ability in the 2021 preseason. The expectations of Haskins were low, there was never any consideration of him starting over Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph predictably won the back-up role. Although he did not play a down in 2021, he “caught the eye” of head coach Mike Tomlin and won the respect of his teammates with an infectious positive attitude and willingness to work hard. He would perform the scout team role and was asked to mimic Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to help the defense better prepare.
After the season, the Steelers signed Haskins to a one-year restricted free agent tender. Tomlin acknowledged the work of Haskins and stated that he would have the opportunity to compete for the starting role. Haskins felt he learned a lot from not playing and was approaching the 2022 season with a completely different mindset than what he experienced in Washington.
Dwayne Haskins, per Steelers.com:
Haskins went from arguably the worst environment in the NFL to the best. From an organization that is consistently mired in controversy and failed to produce a winning football team under Snyder, to one synonymous with stability and winning under Art Rooney II. While Haskins was definitely to blame for his mistakes, by all accounts he was owning up to those mistakes and was doing everything he could to revive his career. It’s reasonable to wonder if Haskins began his career with the Steelers and found himself with an organization that provided an environment of accountability and stability, perhaps his entire journey would have already looked quite different.
The Steelers signed Trubisky after a year of watching and learning as a back-up with the Buffalo Bills and willing to give him the opportunity to make the most of his second chance. They were also giving Haskins the same opportunity to prove himself worthy of being a starter in the NFL.
Tragically, we will never know the outcome of Haskins’ hard work and effort after his tragic passing at only 24 years old. He won the respect of his teammates and coaches and seemed to put his past mistakes behind him. He earned respect that as an immature man once thought he was entailed to and will forever be left to wonder: “What if?”
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
