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Report: Dwayne Haskins Fined $40K, Loses Captaincy After Strip Club Incident
December 23, 2020
The Washington Football Team has removed Dwayne Haskins Jr.'s captaincy and fined him $40,000, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Wednesday.
Teammates voted him in as a captain ahead of the 2020 season.
The change comes after the quarterback was photographed at an event without a mask following Sunday's game while breaching COVID-19 protocols:
Dov Kleiman @NFL_DovKleimanDwayne Haskins was finally back as a starter [due to injury] and after losing to the #Seahawks, apparently decided to party at a strip club. The team is aware of the posts and are in contact with the league while handling it internally, per @NickiJhabvala https://t.co/z5uYHTQJ19
Haskins said Wednesday he was not at a strip club as initially reported, but that he still "deserved" the punishment for not wearing his mask in a public setting of more than 10 people, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.
Washington said it would handle the matter internally, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday the quarterback will also be tested for COVID-19 twice per day and will wear a mask under his helmet, per Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic.
Despite the loss of the captaincy, Haskins continues to take first-team reps, according to Jhabvala.
The 2019 first-round pick began the season as the starter, but Rivera benched him after a 1-3 start.
Injuries to Kyle Allen (ankle) and Alex Smith (calf) pushed Haskins back on the field, as he started in Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He totaled 295 passing yards and a touchdown but also threw two interceptions.
It appears he will remain under center for the team's Week 16 battle against the Carolina Panthers. At 6-8, Washington leads the NFC East and can clinch the division Sunday with a win and New York Giants loss.