Steelers Sign Free Agent Quarterback Dwayne Haskins

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Steelers met with former Washington Football Team and Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Thursday and signed him to a one-year contract. Haskins was signed to a reserve-futures contract along with tbhree other players, the Steelers confirmed.

Haskins, 23, is a former Washington first-round draft pick who was released by the team in December after less than two years with the team.

The Steelers have considerable uncertainty at the quarterback position. Veteran starter Ben Roethlisberger will be 39 next season and has not committed to returning. His play deteriorated late in the season, and he will be owed $41 million if he returns, encompassing a significant portion of the team's salary cap.

Even if he does return, 2021 likely will be Roethlisberger's last year. His backups, Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs, have played unspectacularly during their careers.

But so has Haskins. His record as a starter for Washington was just 3-10 and he had off-field problems as well, having twice violated the team's COVID-19 protocols. A week before his release, he was fined $40,000 after he was photographed maskless at his girlfriend's birthday party with strippers.

At Ohio State, Haskins finished third in the Heisman Trophy race in 2018. Overall there, he completed 413 of 590 passes (70 percent) for 5,396 yards, 54 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In 2018, he had 373 completions for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions.