The most successful team in the league. With 6 championships, the Steelers are a staple in almost every playoff season. Led by Ben Roethlisberger and one of the best defenses in the league, the Steelers have been in the hunt for the past 20 years. Roethlisberger is 39 years old, and it’s unlikely that he will be around for many more seasons. Now the Steelers have picked up former first round pick Dwayne Haskins after he was released from the Redskins. Coming into the league it looked like he could be the best QB in his class, and yet he never blossomed. Haskins needs a change of scenery, but will Pittsburgh give him the chance to become a star.
Stint in Washington
Coming out of Ohio State, Haskins had star potential. It seemed like the New York Giants had made a massive mistake by taking Daniel Jones, who is still the starter for the Giants, instead of Haskins who fell to Washington. The beginning of the 2019 season started off pretty bad for Haskins. Normal growing pains for a young QB, especially one that was as much of a project as Haskins. The problem was not his early performances, but issues with coaches and staff. He would be late to meetings and practices, and never fully prepared like an NFL QB should. This is why his performances became worse and worse. There were no signs of improvement, and after a coaching staff change in 2020 Haskins might have been able to prove himself. Instead, Haskins never had a higher than 60 QBR. After 4 games he was benched, and after that season he was released. Haskins never showed the drive to get better, and that showed up in the games and practices. As much talent as he has, if he can’t get his act together he is going nowhere.
New start in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have picked up Dwayne Haskins with one motive in mind. They hoped that he could become a future successor to Big Ben, who is 39 this year. There is obvious talent there, that’s why he was a first round pick, but can Dwayne capitalize on this talent? This is the question that the Steelers asked themselves before they signed him. They believed that they had a strong enough culture that could fix the habits and laziness that seemed to have kept him from success. With an experienced head coach in Mike Tomlin, and a locker room full of veterans, some of the stuff Haskins was pulling with Washington isn’t going to fly in Pittsburgh. This is one of the best environments for developing players like Haskins, and if he can take advantage of this opportunity than this move could turn out as massive wins for both sides.
Top Image: Ken Blaze/USA Today