Steelers Player Hopes To Prove Love Of Football This Season

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins is looking to prove his love of football now that he's gotten a second chance with a new team.

“Just coming here to Pittsburgh, I want to prove to the coaching staff and my teammates just how much I love football and that I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here,” Haskins said via Yahoo Sports. “I want to show them that my mind is in the right place and I’m willing to work and earn a spot here.”

Haskins, a former first-round pick, has already gained the respect of veteran starter Ben Roethlisberger, who credited the backup as having one of the "prettiest" throwing mechanics he's ever seen.

“I was just telling [new Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan] the other day that his release and throwing motion mechanics are some of the prettiest I have ever seen,” Roethlisberger said of Haskins via TribLIVE. “I told him I wish I had that. I joked that he could throw it through a car wash, and it wouldn’t get wet.”

Haskins was cut by the Washington Football Team after being demoted for the second time during the 2020 season in December, 20 months after the franchise selected the former Ohio State standout at No. 15 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Haskins was benched for backup Taylor Heinicke during the fourth quarter of Washington's 20-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers after completing 14 of 28 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The former first-round pick was stripped of his captaincy and fined $40,000 for violating COVID-19 protocol in December after photos leaked appearing to show the quarterback not wearing a mask at his girlfriend's birthday, which had more than 10 attendees.

"Definitely the hardest week of my life. I just want to bounce back and move forward and pray and get my life together," Haskins said after Washington's December loss to the Panthers via ESPN. "I can't really put into words how I'm feeling right now."

Haskins was previously benched earlier in the season leading up to Washington's Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

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