Redskins Legend Joe Theismann Says You Can't Start Dwayne Haskins vs. Patriots

Washington Redskins legend Joe Theismann expressed reservations about the possibility of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins starting Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

"You cannot start him against the New England Patriots," Theismann said to TMZ Sports. "You can't start Dwayne Haskins against the New England Patriots. I mean, it can't happen. It wouldn't be good for him, it wouldn't be good for the franchise, it wouldn't be good for football for crying out loud."

Theismann added he believes Haskins can be Washington's QB of the future but that he's in a very early stage of his development.

After Haskins' shaky debut, it's hard to argue with Theismann's assessment. The 2019 first-round draft pick replaced Case Keenum in the second quarter of the team's 24-3 Week 4 defeat to the New York Giants. He finished 9-of-17 for 107 yards and three interceptions.

In general, Haskins looked overmatched, which wasn't all that surprising since he only had one year as a starter under his belt at Ohio State before moving to the NFL.

Now, the Patriots are on deck. New England is allowing the second-fewest passing yards in the league (181.8 per game) and has an NFL-best 10 interceptions through four games.

Head coach Jay Gruden told reporters Monday he's unsure right now regarding his Week 5 starter and left Haskins open as an option. Gruden might be setting the first-year passer up to fail if he plays him against what has been a suffocating Patriots secondary.