When the Washington Redskins made Dwayne Haskins the No. 15 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, one of the background storylines centered on the Ohio State product’s No. 7 jersey.
In Redskins lore, that No. 7 belongs to Joe Theismann. After the draft, Theismann made it clear he’d be open to Haskins wearing it after he got to know him and that the first-round pick’s camp had already reached out about it.
Shortly after, Theismann gave Haskins his blessing to wear the number.
Peter King of Pro Football Talk had some thoughts on the matter:
3. I think Joe Theismann even seeming to suggest Dwayne Haskins had to kiss his ring before being rewarded with the number seven jersey in Washington is really weird, and a little bit mindful of the Emperor with No Clothes. Would anyone think that a man with fewer passing yards than Steve Grogan and Jim Harbaugh, with fewer touchdown passes than Earl Morrall and Jon Kitna, with a lower career rating than Kyle Orton and Dave Krieg … should have his number retired? Mark Rypien won a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. Brad Johnson and Jeff Hostetler won one. Come on. The fact that Washington never gave Theismann’s number out for years after his gruesome injury is a nice gesture, I suppose. But it’s silly to think he was an all-timer, the kind of player whose number should never be worn again.
Call it an odd situation from all sides. Theismann is a Redskins legend and won a Super Bowl wearing the number. While the team hasn’t retired it, the front office hasn’t issued it, either.
That Haskins and his camp still reached out is a sign of respect and a good move. The two chatting and getting to know each other already is a good sign, too.
But this was always going to end up as a polarizing situation. Only Haskins emerges looking great — and with his preferred number.
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