Ben Roethlisberger’s status with the Steelers is currently in jeopardy as Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert tries to figure out if he can put together a team that is good enough to pay to keep Roethlisberger under center for an 18th season.
If he finds that can not be done, Colbert and the salary-tied Steelers will likely decide to go in a different direction on quarterbacks. That would open the door for Mason Rudolph to start after the starting position. Behind him would stand Dwayne Haskins, a former first-round pick who signed a one-year deal with the Steelers last month.
“We have Mason Rudolph, and Mason did a very good job in the game he played and against Cleveland in the [regular-season] final, “Colbert told Steelers.com’s Missi Matthews earlier this week.” Came a little short to give us a win, but gave us a chance, and that was really important to him. It was important for us to see it. ‘
Colbert also touched on Haskins, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback who drew comparisons to Roethlisberger during his time in the state of Ohio.
“We are excited to see what Dwayne can do with us,” Colbert said. “It did not work out for him in Washington. We had high grades over Dwayne who came from the state of Ohio. He was selected much higher than we could make the decision … He is a young, talented quarterback who we are eager to see what he can do as soon as he arrives here and works with us. ‘
The 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Haskins, was issued by Washington following a underperformance in the football team’s Week 16 defeat against the Panthers. Haskins’ much-publicized violation of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol also contributed to his release. After his release, Haskins describes what he called the ‘worst week of his life’ during an interview with WUSA9’s Darren Haynes.
“Must be accountable for the decisions you make in life, and be able to move forward and make the best decisions,” Haskins said. “I have no doubt that I can overcome it, grow and become a better person, a better athlete, a better quarterback and a better leader because of this. It’s something I’m praying for and working on. I’m hoping a new change in scenery will help.
In two seasons in Washington, Haskins only took a 3-10 lead. He completed 60.1% of his passions with 12 touches and 14 interceptions. In 2020, the former first-round pick won just one of his six games, throwing more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (five). And while Haskins and fellow backs Kyle Allen had a combined 2-8 as Washington’s starting quarterback, veteran Alex Smith – the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year – went 5-1 down the middle as he led the soccer team to led an NFC division in the Eastern Division. .
Although some of Haskins’ struggles were head-to-head, the fact that he had to play for three different coaches and two different coordinators probably contributed to his lack of success. Haskins also had to play behind an offensive line that has allowed 50 bags to Washington’s backs over the past two seasons.
Haskins did have some bright moments during his time in Washington. In his sixth career, Haskins started for 261 yards and two touchdowns (while completing nearly 68% of his passes) in Washington’s 37-27 defeat to Philadelphia. In Week 4 of the 2020 season, Haskins threw for 314 yards while completing more than 71% of his throws in Washington’s 31-17 defeat against the Ravens.
While the Steelers are likely to contribute to their quarter-finals during the off-season, it’s pretty clear that Haskins and Rudolph will enter training camp if the Steelers’ two best backs as Roethlisberger are no longer part of the comparison.