Quarterback Dwayne Haskins came to the Pittsburgh Steelers with his NFL future already in question.
He was selected No. 15 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by Washington.
Haskins was a heralded prospect out of Ohio State, throwing for 5,396 yards and 54 touchdowns to just nine interceptions in two seasons.
After his selection, it appeared as if he was Washington’s quarterback of the future.
However, Haskins quickly flamed out.
He started 13 games for Washington, going just 3-10.
Haskins completed just 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,804 yards and a 12/14 TD/INT ratio.
Alex Smith, who hadn’t played in over a year due to a brutal leg injury, actually replaced him as Washington’s starting quarterback.
Washington decided it was a good time to move on and released him in the middle of the 2020 NFL season.
A Fresh Start In Pittsburgh
Haskins signed with the Steelers on a one-year, $850,000 contract to little fanfare.
While there wasn’t much buzz at the time, Haskins has turned heads while in Pittsburgh.
Earlier this offseason, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reported that Haskins has looked “surprisingly good” during training camp.
He earned the start in the Steelers 16-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys in this year’s Hall of Fame Game.
Haskins completed eight-of-13 passes for 54 yards.
In Pittsburgh’s Week 2 preseason game, a 24-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Haskins proved that he has the potential to still be a difference-maker in the NFL.
He completed 16-of-22 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown.
Looking. Looking. Rolling. TOUCHDOWN.@dh_simba7 | @litmanjohnson
Watch #PITvsPHI on NFL Game Pass: https://t.co/ZXSzM8uXYI pic.twitter.com/GMmLCFcZbC
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 13, 2021
Heading into the Steelers preseason finale, an away matchup against the Carolina Panthers, head coach Mike Tomlin said that Haskins will draw the start.
In today's press conference, Coach Tomlin said that Dwayne Haskins will start at QB against the Panthers on Friday. pic.twitter.com/zk7jcIUIF5
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 25, 2021
Haskins will have one last opportunity to prove that he deserves to be the Steelers backup quarterback.
His main competition comes in the form of Mason Rudolph, who he has been battling with all offseason.
Rudolph is currently listed as the backup on the team’s unofficial depth chart while Haskins is the third string.
Of course, that could be due to seniority as Rudolph has been with Pittsburgh after he was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
He has appeared in 15 games and started nine, earning a 5-4 overall record.
In his NFL tenure, Rudolph has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 2,089 yards and a 15/10 TD/INT ratio.
Like Haskins, Rudolph is on a one-year deal, his for $5 million.
While normally the backup quarterback battle wouldn’t take up many headlines, it has been one of the main stories in Pittsburgh this offseason.
Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is entering his 19th season with the Steelers.
His is signed to a one-year, $14 million contract.
There have been reports that this may be Roethlisberger’s final season and that he plans on retiring after the year.
If those turn out to be true, then the Steelers must worry about life after Roethlisberger.
Which is where Haskins comes in.
Both he and Rudolph are on one-year deals.
Of course they could bring both back, or even look outside the organization for their quarterback of the future.
But Haskins has an opportunity to show why he deserves the first shot to be Roethlisberger’s replacement.
He is just 24 years old and was a first-round pick just two seasons ago.
Haskins isn’t likely to see much regular season playing time as long as Roethlisberger is healthy.
But if he does get his shot, Pittsburgh currently offers Haskins his best opportunity to reclaim a starting quarterback role in the NFL.
The opportunity is there for Haskins to prove his worth.
It’s up to him to seize that opportunity and prove why he was so highly-touted entering the NFL.
NEXT: Ben Roethlisberger Looking Like His Old Self With Steelers