Will he start Week 1, or won’t he?
That’s the main question surrounding Washington Redskins rookie QB Dwayne Haskins as he begins his journey in the NFL. Haskins has himself said that he is putting no pressure on himself to get the nod for Week 1, but leaks and quotes continue to come out of the Redskins camp that suggest he might get the call.
According to ESPN’s John Keim, there have been flashes of brilliance from Haskins that solicit waves of joy that spread throughout the Washington coaching staff. “Throws punctuated by high-fives from the coach or fist bumps from his offensive coordinator,” said Keim.
It’s moments like these that seem to suggest that the rookie out of Ohio State might be closer to starting than he might think. Obviously, learning an NFL offense takes time, and there are likely to be growing pains along the way but don’t count out Haskins just yet.
“I don’t know quite what he can do in the NFL in this system because it’s new to him, but his ability warrants the fact that, hey, let’s take a peek at this big son of a b—-,” said Redskins coach Jay Gruden, via ESPN.com.
What is helping the situation in Washington is the fact that there is a fail-safe in Case Keenum. As an eight-year veteran, Keenum is likely to get the nod to start Week 1 and provide some more time for Haskins to learn about the increased speed of the NFL from the sidelines. However, if Haskins continues to show his strengths in practice, there is no telling how long Keenum will be at the helm.
“You see the ‘wow’ plays and you’re like, ‘Jesus,'” Gruden said. “When he’s on, there’s nobody you’d rather have than Dwayne.”
The Redskins have him, and they’ll be looking to keep him for years to come.
