Dwayne Haskins Rumors: QB to Visit Panthers After WFT Release

Former Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins is reportedly scheduled to visit the Carolina Panthers on Monday.

ESPN's David Newton reported Saturday that the meeting is "exploratory" amid interest in the 2019 first-round pick from other NFL teams.

Haskins enjoyed a standout 2018 season at Ohio State. He completed 70 percent of his attempts for 4,831 yards, with 50 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in 14 games during his first year as a starter for the Buckeyes.

Washington proceeded to select him with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft, but his tenure with the organization didn't live up to expectations.

The 23-year-old New Jersey native struggled on the field, posting a lackluster 74.4 passer rating across 16 appearances, and his off-field decision-making came into question after two breaches of the NFL's COVID-19 protocols, with the second offense leading to a $40,000 fine and a loss of his WFT captaincy.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera told reporters the onus was on Haskins to make the necessary improvements when he received his next opportunity:

"Sometimes you have to go through hard knocks. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can dig your way back out of it. Sometimes a change helps. With Dwayne, it's: What have you learned? What are you going to take from these experiences that are going to help you grow and get better? That's the big thing with him and the thing I hope he learns from these experiences. Hopefully, they'll make him stronger and they'll help him and, hopefully, when he gets his next opportunity, he'll make the best of it."

Meanwhile, the Panthers may be eyeing a quarterback competition for 2021.

Teddy Bridgewater failed to lock down the starting job for the future after signing a three-year, $63 million contract with the franchise in March. He posted a 69.1 percent completion rate with 3,733 yards, but he finished with just 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games.

"Teddy has to have a tremendous offseason," Carolina head coach Matt Rhule told reporters when asked whether Bridgewater would remain the starter next season.

If Haskins joins the Panthers, he could compete with Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Will Grier and any offseason additions for a spot on the depth chart heading into next season.