Dwayne Haskins apologizes after photos show mask-less partying
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins publicly apologized Tuesday after photo evidence came to light of him partying with several people unmasked after playing Sunday.
Haskins said on Twitter he spoke with coach Ron Rivera and took full responsibility for putting the team at risk during the pandemic.
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His account was set to private shortly after the tweet was published.
"It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action," Haskins said. "I also want to apologize for creating a distraction for my team during our playoff push. I will learn and grow from this and do what’s best for the team moving forward."
The team is aware of the situation and said it’s handling it internally. There was no immediate word whether Haskins would be fined or suspended for violating COVID-19 protocols. The team fined him earlier this season for a separate violation while on the road.
Earlier this season, the NFL sent a memo out to teams and players outlining activities that are considered high risk. Attending an indoor night club without wearing a mask is one of them.
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This isn't the first time the team has had to deal with this type of issue involving Haskins. In October, the team fined Haskins nearly $5,000 for violating protocol.
Haskins started Sunday for the first time since early October and threw two interceptions and a touchdown in a 20-15 loss to Seattle. It’s unclear if he’ll play in Washington’s next game against the Carolina Panthers that could be the NFC East clincher, though Rivera called Alex Smith the starter if healthy.
The incident comes at a time when the team is just a couple of weeks away from a potential playoff berth.
Fans who talked to FOX 5 Tuesday say they are not happy that Haskins could be jeopardizing the team's future this season.
"He went to the club without the mask which was dumb," one fan said. "You're already on skid row because you ain't playing that good. You need to get out here and play. Now who's going to be our quarterback?"
"It's very selfish because right now they're going through a dilemma with the quarterback issue with the health of Alex Smith," said another fan. "And then here you are with Dwayne Haskins who just got his starting roll back and he turns around and messes it up. So, he has to understand, just like we learned as kids, what one does can mess it up for everybody, and now that leaves the team where?"
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Rivera benched the 2019 first-round pick after four games this season because he felt the offense was better off in experienced hands. He turned first to Kyle Allen, then to Smith when Allen was injured.
Haskins got the start against Seattle essentially by default as the last healthy quarterback on the roster. He threw two interceptions in the first two-plus quarters before leading a comeback attempt that fell short.
Rivera has already said Alex Smith will be the starter once he is healthy again.