Washington cuts Haskins 2 seasons into pro career

The Washington Football Team waived Dwayne Haskins on Monday, cutting ties with the quarterback it selected 15th overall in the 2019 draft.

"This afternoon I met with Dwayne and informed him that we would be releasing him," head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. "I told him that I believe it benefits both parties to go our separate ways. We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions these last two seasons and wish him well moving forward."

Haskins thanked Washington and vowed to rebound from his career setback in a tweet from his private account:

Haskins appeared in 16 games over two seasons, making 13 starts. He completed 60.1% of his career passes for 2,804 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

The Ohio State product memorably began his pro career by declaring "the league done messed up" after he slid to No. 15 in the draft. His presentation at the scouting combine months before the selection process raised flags about his maturity, and those concerns manifested in the NFL.

Haskins twice violated COVID-19 protocol during the 2020 season and was stripped of his captaincy after the second incident. He committed three turnovers in a Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers, where a win would have clinched the NFC East for Washington.

The 23-year-old will go on waivers, allowing another team to claim his current contract, which has two seasons left on it.

Earlier Monday, Rivera said he would start Taylor Heinicke at quarterback in Week 17 if Alex Smith remains sidelined with a calf injury. Washington can still win the division by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the final game of the regular season but will miss the playoffs with another loss.