(Photography by Karl Roser of Steelers.com)
Dwayne Haskins has walked into the 2021 season looking to revive his career after not having a good start with the Washington Football team. Granted it looks like the Washinton Football team rushed him onto the field faster than they should have which could have caused his issues from the start. Now he will get the opportunity to walk into a good football system and develop behind a Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger if he makes the team by the start of the 2021 season. So far he has had good reviews from many of his teammates.
Ben Roethlisberger rarely loves to comment on other quarterbacks on the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it seems that Ben and Haskins have hit it off from the start of OTAs. Ben loves what he is seeing with Dwayne Haskins so far and even gave him a compliment during his interview with the media this week.
Roethlisberger on Dwayne Haskins: “His release and throwing motion mechanics are some of the prettiest I have ever seen. I wish I had that,” Ben Roethlisberger said Tuesday. “I joked that he could throw it through a car wash and it wouldn’t get wet. He’s learning it. It’s obviously a new system for him. He’s young in the league. It’s fun to have that young energy around. Like I said, when he throws a football, it’s pretty.”
James Washington also said Haskins throws the ball very hard and it seems like he has a great arm on him so far during OTAs. This is on par with what his prior Head Coach Ron Rivera was saying once they released Haskins during the 2020 season. Rivera says Haskins is a very capable NFL quarterback with a great arm, but he needs to focus on the game of football instead of focusing on his distractions on and off of the football field. If Haskins can eliminate the distractions and just focus on football he could find himself in a very good place with the Pittsburgh Steelers if everything works out down the road.
Washington on Haskins as a person: “He’s a people person. Even if he doesn’t know you, he’ll come up to you and introduce himself, try to start a conversation, and get to know people,” Washington said. “That’s one of the main things that stuck out to me. I think he’s a great person. He just needs guys that will stick around him and help him out.”
So far it sounds like Dwayne Haskins is doing everything right in Pittsburgh among his teammates. For the people who don't want to see Haskins make it in Pittsburgh obviously just like to watch the world burn. The Steelers signed him to a non-guaranteed minimum contract that says show us what you have and you could possibly make the team as a second or third quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and eventually could start.
This is the perfect opportunity for both sides to make it work in Pittsburgh and if it does work the Steelers ultimately get a first-round talent for nothing and Haskins gets to revive his career in the right football system. It is a win-win situation for everyone if Dwayne Haskins works out in Pittsburgh.