Dwayne Haskins' Best Potential NFL Team Fits After WFT Release

The Washington Football Team announced Monday that it has released quarterback Dwayne Haskins. 

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network first reported the news.

Washington took Haskins with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 16 games over his two-year career.

The decision to release Haskins comes after a tumultuous week for the former Ohio State star. Images of him taking part in an event with strippers without wearing a mask appeared on social media. He was also fined $40,000 and stripped of his captaincy for violating COVID-19 protocols.

Haskins still started Sunday against the Carolina Panthers but was benched for the second time this year after going 14-of-28 for 154 passing yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 20-13 loss. Taylor Heinecke took over in the fourth quarter.

Haskins struggled mightily in Washington, and it's highly unlikely that any team will give him a chance to be its starter next season considering how his two years in the nation's capital went down. 

At this point, Haskins may be best suited sitting behind an established and successful signal-caller for a year or longer (or heading to a practice squad) as he looks for a fresh restart. He'd also benefit from going to a successful organization with a solid foundation and good leadership to help get his career back on track.

It isn't easy to find a fit anywhere for Haskins given how his tenure in Washington ended, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers might be potential fits in 2021.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs quarterback Tom Brady has completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2020. The 43-year-old, who signed a two-year deal last offseason, continues to defy time and should be the team's starting quarterback in 2021.

However, Brady will hang it up at some point. Before he does, Tampa Bay needs to find his successor.

That probably isn't Blaine Gabbert, a 31-year-old veteran who has proved to be a steady backup over the years but hasn't been a team's Week 1 starter since 2013.

It probably isn't Haskins, either, but he could at least throw his name into the mix after sitting behind Brady.

The Bucs have an excellent head coach in Bruce Arians, who has helped quarterbacks such as Ben Roehtlisberger and Carson Palmer reach greater heights. Perhaps he can do the same with Haskins down the road.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts don't have a quarterback under contract for the 2021 season, as veterans Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett are both set to enter free agency.

The 39-year-old Rivers has fared well during his first season in Indianapolis, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while guiding the Colts to a 10-5 record. Re-signing him may be their best bet to remain competitive in 2021.

At the very least, Rivers doesn't sound like he's about to hang his cleats up.

"I don't feel like I'm hanging on and I do feel like I still can contribute and I do wake up for the passion of the process," he told reporters in mid-December.

If the Colts do re-sign Rivers, then Haskins could be a good fit somewhere behind him on the depth chart. They have one of the NFL's best GM-coach combos in Chris Ballard and Frank Reich, and the roster is stocked with enough talent to keep them competitive well into the 2020s.

Indianapolis would a great landing spot for Haskins, especially since he would work with a former NFL quarterback in Reich, who was the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl season in 2017.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Few organizations in American professional sports can boast the stability and prestige of the six-time Super Bowl champion Steelers. They are led by a well-respected, Super Bowl champion head coach in Mike Tomlin, who has led the team since 2007.

It's a great landing spot for any player regardless of position, and Haskins should benefit from being in that winning culture. In addition, he could sit and learn behind a veteran. 

Ben Roethlisberger, 38, still has something left in the tank even if he's in the twilight of his career. He intends to come back for the 2021 season, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, and he went 34-of-49 for three touchdowns and no interceptions on Sunday in a come-from-behind victory over the Colts.

Pittsburgh's quarterback room is full right now with Roethlisberger, backup Mason Rudolph and third-stringer Joshua Dobbs. But if the Steelers want to take a chance on the talent Haskins exhibited at Ohio State, they could be a good place for him to rehabilitate his career.