Dwayne Haskins ended up talking with the media on Sunday night after a whirlwind affair.
Haskins was benched after playing poorly in Washington’s 20-13 loss to Carolina on Sunday. The second-year quarterback then didn’t speak with the media after the game and instead headed home.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Haskins was told backup Taylor Heinicke would be speaking with the media, which is why he went home.
Sources close to the situation said Dwayne Haskins did not turn down requests to speak to the media today and that he was informed that Taylor Heinicke would be meeting with reporters and he could go home. Haskins subsequently spoke to reporters tonight. https://t.co/jsi4yZm6Nw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 28, 2020
The explanation given to Schefter does not make much sense since NFL rules state the starting quarterback is required to speak with the media.
Washington Post reporter Nicki Jhabvala gave an alternative explanation, saying that Haskins declined to talk with the media when approached by team PR and left the stadium.
Washington PR said there was a miscommunication in the heat of the moment but Haskins ended up talking.
From team PR: This was all a miscommunication in the heat of the moment on the field. Haskins was unreachable when PR tried to contact him a second time because he was driving.
He's talking now …https://t.co/RCCLWtBXeH
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 28, 2020
The Washington quarterback said he was enduring the hardest week of his life.
Haskins said he wishes he "could go back and change some things" and that this was "the hardest week of my life."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 28, 2020
What made it so hard? Haskins was stripped of his captain duties for acting irresponsibly by breaking COVID protocols in attending a party indoors without a mask on. Despite all the negative headlines, he made the start, but played so poorly he got benched. And then he drew negative attention for declining to speak with the media afterwards. He compounded an unprofessional move early in the week with an unprofessional move after the game.
