Dwayne

Haskins

An unspeakable tragedy. Only 24 years old, Haskins was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft following a standout performance at Ohio State where he set single-season school and conference records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Haskins did not have as much success in the NFL, but he was on track to compete for the backup job in Pittsburgh. Schefter reports he was in South Florida to train with his Steelers teammates ahead of the season. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.

Haskins was given an original-round tender as a restricted free agent. Since he was originally drafted in the first round, a team would owe Pittsburgh a first-round pick if they signed him away. That simply was not going to happen, so it makes sense for Haskins to sign the deal. He will compete for backup duties behind Mitch Trubisky this offseason.

Since Haskins was the No. 15 overall pick in 2019 by Washington, going with the original-round, low tender was an easy decision here. No team is giving a first-rounder to the Steelers to sign Haskins away. He’s expected to compete for the Steelers’ backup job this season, assuming Pittsburgh does something else to upgrade its quarterback room.

Colbert, who’s stepping down as GM after the draft, on Monday talked extensively about the Steelers’ search for their next starting quarterback, saying Mason Rudolph would be the team’s starter if the season started today. The Steelers, who plan to keep Dwayne Haskins on the roster in 2022, heavily scouted incoming rookie quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, and Colbert last year attended Pittsburgh games to watch Kenny Pickett and Liberty games to scout Malik Willis. Kaboly said it “appeared that the Steelers took a liking” to Willis during his Senior Bowl practices; Colbert said Pickett’s much talked-about hand size doesn’t bother him. All signs point to the Steelers finding their next quarterback in the NFL Draft or by signing a mid-level QB in free agency. Mitchell Trubisky, Marcus Mariota, or Tyrod Taylor might fit the bill.

The first-round tender would count $2.5 million against the salary cap. It’s an expected move with Ben Roethlisberger retiring and confirms that Haskins showed enough as the third-string quarterback to return for another season. The Steelers have talked up Haskins and Mason Rudolph as potential Roethlisberger replacements, but it would be surprising if Haskins was more than a backup in 2022.

Colbert is retiring prior to the draft, so Haskins will need assurances from Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’ new general manager that he is actually in the starting mix. Still, the initial signs out of Pittsburgh point to them staying in-house with their 2022 quarterback starter. Haskins and Mason Rudolph could both lead to a disastrous 2022 for the Steelers. It’s difficult to believe that the team won’t add another quarterback this offseason.

No surprises here. Pat Freiermuth cleared concussion protocol earlier in the week.

Pittsburgh will also be without Devin Bush, who made his return from an ACL injury last week against Buffalo. Losing Haden and Bush is a blow to a Steelers defense taking on a Raiders team playing on a short week, traveling across country for an early kickoff. Pittsburgh’s defense remains a top option in fantasy despite the injuries.

After practice, Haskins said that he has “been told certain things” about his future with the Steelers, although he didn’t add any further details. Given this comment and his hot start to training camp, it’s fair to assume that Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh staff see Haskins as at least a long-term backup option. Haskins is still behind Mason Rudolph, who will draw the start in the Hall of Fame Game, but the latter has been lackluster in most of his opportunities with the Steelers. Haskins is far from a complete player as well but his first-round pedigree and impressive film at Ohio State point to an upside that Rudolph doesn’t possess. With Ben Roethlisberger nearly at the end of his career, the battle for backup duties in Pittsburgh will be one to watch throughout camp.

The incident occurred in a Las Vegas hotel room earlier this month, Schefter adds. Gondrezick-Haskins faces a felony charge of battery and domestic violence after being accused of punching Haskins in the mouth. Other injuries he reportedly suffered were “substantial in nature” including a split upper lip and a missing tooth. “We are aware of the situation but will have no comment,” said the Steelers Thursday. It’s unclear if any of this will force the 24-year-old to miss time in camp.