Dwayne Haskins Says It's Been the 'Worst Week of My Life' After WFT Release

Former Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins addressed his release from the team Monday.

Haskins told WUSA9 he has experienced the "worst week of my life":

"Gotta be accountable for the decisions you make in life, and be able to move forward and make the best decisions. I have no doubt in my mind that I can overcome this, grow and become a better person, a better athlete, a better quarterback, and a better leader because of this. That's something I'm praying and working on to show. I'm hoping that a new change in scenery will help with that."

Haskins added he's "praying and hoping for another opportunity."

The 23-year-old experienced a rapid fall in the nation's capital since he was selected with the No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft.

Jay Gruden, who was head coach when the team drafted Haskins, was quickly fired during his rookie season, and eventual replacement Ron Rivera didn't seem to favor the young signal-caller. Kyle Allen took over as the starting quarterback for what proved to be a Week 5 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and Alex Smith started when Allen went on injured reserve.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported in October a trade involving Haskins was "probably inevitable at this point," whether it happened before the deadline or in the offseason.

Haskins presumably expedited his exit by violating the NFL's COVID-19 health and safety protocols by attending a private party and failing to wear a protective mask. Washington fined him $40,000 and removed him as a team captain.

Haskins' numbers to this point don't make for pleasant reading. He has thrown for 2,804 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 60.1 percent of his passes.

Because of his age, the former Ohio State star will get another chance somewhere. The Washington Post's Les Carpenter also reported that Haskins still impressed coaches despite his struggles:

"No player perplexed the coaches more. All raved about Haskins's arm strength, were dazzled by his ability to make quick, hard throws as well as long, soaring spirals deep downfield. But they didn't understand why he never seemed prepared. After banishing Haskins to a side field during last year's training camp, Gruden threw him into an early-season game at the New York Giants to show Snyder how far Haskins was from being a capable quarterback, a person with knowledge of the situation said. Haskins was intercepted three times that day."

At a time when Jameis Winston has to settle for backing up Drew Brees, it's hard to see how Haskins will get another chance to start right out of the gate. Instead, he might have to follow the Teddy Bridgewater trajectory.

Coming off a major knee injury, Bridgewater was Brees' understudy for two years before the Carolina Panthers signed him to be their No. 1 option.

Haskins will have to earn his way back to the first string by working on the little things Carpenter outlined in his piece.