Case Keenum was benched on Sunday in favor of Dwayne Haskins after he threw an interception early in Washington’s loss to the New York Giants, but that does not necessarily mean the veteran has lost his starting job going forward.
Following his team’s 24-3 loss to the New York Giants, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said it would be premature to say the Haskins era has begun in Washington. He would not rule out Keenum starting against the New England Patriots in Week 5.
JUST NOW: #Redskins head coach Jay Gruden asked if Dwayne Haskins will start next week vs. #Patriots.#HTTR @WTKR3 https://t.co/bcg345ppnk pic.twitter.com/r0RVkCQYE1
— Adam Winkler (@AdamWinkSports) September 29, 2019
“You’re not just handed the keys because of where you were drafted,” Gruden said. “You have to earn the right. I think he’ll continue to get better and better, but I have to look right now at who gives us the best chance to win against the Patriots.”
Sunday was a bad day all around for the Redskins, and that included Haskins. He completed just 9-of-17 passes for 107 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. The rookie also took two sacks, so his debut could have gone much better.
The Patriots have had the best defense in the NFL through the first four games of the season, so they will present a huge challenge for either Keenum or Haskins. There have been rumblings that Washington’s coaches and front office people are at odds over who the team’s quarterback should be, though Haskins tried to put those to rest.
