Dwayne Haskins and the Washington Football Team appear to be heading for a split at some point. After being drafted with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Haskins was benched just four games into his first season as the full-time starter. Could the Pittsburgh Steelers look to trade for him?
In the four games that he played this season, Haskins didn’t look horrible. He completed 61 percent of his pass attempts for 939 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Unfortunately for the young quarterback, the regime that drafted him is gone. Ron Rivera made the switch to Kyle Allen as his starting quarterback. Many will know that Allen played with Rivera for the Carolina Panthers.
At just 23 years old, Haskins would be a very intriguing trade target for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t getting any younger and acquiring Haskins to learn behind him for the rest of this season would be valuable. He would also be the obvious long-term option moving forward in Pittsburgh.
All of that being said, let’s take a look at an intriguing trade that would send Dwayne Haskins from Washington to the Steelers.
The Hypothetical Trade
Steelers Receive: Dwayne Haskins
Washington Receives: 2021 Third-Round Pick
Even though Haskins is a recent first-round pick, his value is at an all-time low. Being benched just four games into his first season as the starter is not a good look. Washington did not handle this situation as well as they could have.
With his current franchise not seemingly trusting Haskins, they likely would not hesitate to move him. It appears that Rivera is going with Kyle Allen as the starter for the foreseeable future with Alex Smith as his backup.
Let’s dive in and take a closer look at why both the Steelers and Washington should pull the trigger on this trade.
Why This Deal Makes Sense For The Steelers
Let’s start with the Steelers’ side of things. It seems pretty obvious why this move would intrigue Pittsburgh. Acquiring a young quarterback for the future behind Ben Roethlisberger is a must, as Mason Rudolph certainly isn’t the guy.
Dwayne Haskins would be able to come in and learn behind Big Ben. He would be able to sit the bench for a year, maybe two at the max. Following that experience, he would be able to take over as the face of the future for the Steelers.
In the 13 games he has played with Washington, Haskins has shown some bright flashes of star potential. He has a strong arm and he has great leadership skills. Granted, he has had some issues with turnovers.
However, with development and patience with a quality franchise, the future could be very bright for Haskins.
Pittsburgh should have a ton of interest in making a move for Haskins. If they handle him the right way, they could have a star in the making for a very reasonable price.
Why This Deal Makes Sense For Washington
As for the Washington Football Team, it seems clear that they have moved on from Dwayne Haskins as their starter. Many don’t agree with Ron Rivera’s decision, but a franchise doesn’t bench a second-year quarterback without making the decision to do so for the long haul.
If that is the case, Washington has no reason to hold on to Haskins. They will move forward with Kyle Allen and possibly draft a new quarterback that the new regime has faith in.
Haskins likely isn’t very happy with how he has been handled. There is a very good chance that this situation will never go back to being a good one.
Trading a second-year quarterback that was drafted No. 15 overall for a third-round pick seems bad. But, keeping him on the bench and not using him is a bad look as well. At least Washington would be getting some value.
Washington could choose to keep Haskins and give him another chance. If that is the case, more power to them. Making this deal is a good move if they don’t feel that way and would rather move on to another long-term option.