ESPN's Adam Schefter Apologizes for Insensitive Tweet on Dwayne Haskins' Death

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter apologized Monday after his insensitive and since-deleted tweet announcing the death of NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins over the weekend.

Schefter's initial tweet read: "Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsburgh in the NFL, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida, per his agent Cedrick Saunders. Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3."

A number of people around the NFL community immediately criticized Schefter for his framing of the tweet:

Schefter wasn't the only media member to come under fire for discussing Haskins' death in an insensitive manner. NFL Network's Gil Brandt made the following comments when he learned of Haskins' death:

Those comments were roundly criticized:

Brandt publicly apologized for his comments:

Haskins died Saturday morning after a dump truck hit him while he walked along a South Florida highway. He was 24.

After starring at Ohio State, Haskins was the No. 15 overall pick of the Washington Commanders in 2019, where he spent two seasons before he was released in the 2020 season.

"Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him," Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. "This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed. Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time."

Haskins signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2021 season, serving as the team's third-string quarterback.

"The loss of Dwayne is beyond tragic and extremely difficult to process," Haskins' head coach at Ohio State, Ryan Day, wrote in a tweet. "For those who knew him closely, he was much more than a great football player. He had a giant heart, old soul and an infectious smile. The Ohio State community and our entire football program are heartbroken."