In case you’ve been living under a pile of snow (I mean it is Ohio), or you just don’t follow the NFL all that much (I mean it is Ohio). then you likely know the Washington Redskins have hired their new head coach in the form of Ron Rivera.
That means change is in the air in our nation’s capital, and it would behoove Haskins to start showing the promise those before him placed on his shoulders when he was drafted as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. There were rumors that not everyone was sold on him as the face of the franchise at quarterback when he was selected, and with a new head coach now in charge, that likely doesn’t land Haskins on more solid footing.
In fact, maybe on the contrary based on remarks made by Rivera when he met with the media this week during his introductory news conference. The former Carolina Panthers head coach had some good things to say about the former Ohio State QB, but also left the door open to exploring other options.
“He’s going to have to step up and become a leader,” Rivera said. “All the great ones have become leaders and they’ve become leaders whether they’re rookies or they’re 10-, 12-year vets… He can become a franchise-style quarterback. It’s a process, though, I’m not going to say it’s going to happen overnight.”
He went on to assess the quarterback play of all options from last season.
“These are guys that have played quality football, including Dwayne,” said Rivera. “Dwayne has played some pretty good football for the limited times he did play this season. But we’re in a good situation with the three veteran guys, with Dwayne that’s still growing and learning.”
When specifically speaking of the plan for Haskins, Rivera said staying the course is the most important thing right now.
“What we’re trying to do right now is to develop that plan for his development as we go forward,” Rivera said. “There’s a couple good veteran quarterbacks that get some opportunities to play as well. We won’t know until we get ready to open up in September, so until then, everything is just a process. We can’t get ahead of it — we’ve got to stay to the plan and make sure we’re preparing ourselves properly to win football games.”
Ron Rivera praises Dwayne Haskins, but not ready to commit https://t.co/HoncrLVINi
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 7, 2020
So, it sounds like there’s some good news and bad news there. Obviously the best of news is that Haskins development and playing time are still there for him to work towards and earn.
But how much of that is his to own and how much of that is what Rivera believes in remains to be seen. One thing is clear, Haskins will need to continue with the improved play and role he had on the team at the tail end of this past season.
Something tells me he’ll rise to the occasion.