Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Dwayne Haskins Dead At 24

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins died Saturday morning after he was hit by a dump truck while walking on a Florida interstate, The Associated Press reported.

Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Indiana Miranda confirmed to The AP that Haskins was the victim of an accident on westbound Interstate 595. Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene.

ESPN first reported the news of Haskin's death.

Haskins, 24, was a former Ohio State quarterback and a first-round pick of Washington's NFL franchise. He was in South Florida for training.

Miranda didn’t say why Haskins was on the highway at the time. The accident caused the highway to shut down for several hours.

"He was just walking on the highway and got hit," Miranda told The AP.

Meanwhile, an outpouring of grief came from all corners of the NFL on Saturday.

"I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement.

"He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken."

Following his junior season at Ohio State, Haskins was selected 15th overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2019 draft. He spent two seasons with Washington before signing with the Steelers and was the team's third-string quarterback in 2021.

Commanders co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder released a statement on Twitter that stated, "We are devastated to hear the news of the tragic passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement."

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera added, "I am absolutely heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him. This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words."

With the retirement of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the end of last season, Haskins had a small chance to be the team's starting quarterback in 2022. The Steelers signed free agent Mitchell Trubisky of the Buffalo Bills to be the presumptive starter; Mason Rudolph served as the backup last season.

Haskins led Ohio State to a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl victory in 2018.