Dwayne Haskins surprisingly good at Steelers camp so far

Dwayne Haskins has emerged as one of the hottest storylines out of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp so far and hardly anyone saw it coming.

“Haskins has been surprisingly good,” said Mark Kaboly, who covers the Steelers for the Athletic. “He hasn’t had a day yet where he has shown some of the issues that popped up in Washington the last two years. He’s the Steelers’ best play-action passer and his accuracy and decision-making have been good.”

The third-year signal-caller was released midway through the 2020 campaign, after a combination of poor play and questionable off-field decisions left Washington head coach Ron Rivera no other choice.

Now, seven months later, it appears Haskins has grown, matured and taken his time in Pittsburgh seriously, knowing a roster spot is far from guaranteed.

Still, nobody in the Steel City predicted the name Dwayne Haskins would completely take over training camp headlines in the first week.

“Dwayne Haskins likes the two-minute drill and has ever since he was a little kid. Maybe that’s why Steelers coach Mike Tomlin threw his No. 3 quarterback onto the field first during the final drill with 1:48 on the clock, the ball at the opponent’s 33-yard line and a touchdown needed.

Haskins made quick work of the 67 yards by going 4 of 6, including hitting his last three throws and a bullet of a 25-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Johnson with more than 40 seconds left on the clock.It was the second time in five days that Haskins was near flawless in the two-minute drill.

It was the second time in five days that Haskins was near flawless in the two-minute drill.

Mark Kaboly, The Athletic

The opportunities, extra reps and clear focus on getting Haskins as much work as possible is something to keep an eye on. This team already has a reliable backup in Rudolph. There is a growing sense Tomlin and other offensive coaches believe Haskins can become a franchise leader.

“I felt like that the first day I got here,” Haskins said when asked about pursuing the starting position. “I’ve been told certain things. That’s between me and the coaches. I just have to go out there and prove I can play.”

There were various occasions of Washington players and staff questioning Haskins’ commitment and work ethic during his stint in D.C. After a loss, future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson confronted Haskins about frustration surrounding the young quarterback not understanding the playbook.

From @gmfb: #Redskins RB Adrian Peterson told Dwayne Haskins after Thursday’s performance vs. the #Vikings it’s time to dig into that playbook and get it down pat. pic.twitter.com/Caimldd9gk

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 26, 2019

A change of scenery paired with a proven coach like Tomlin could be just what Haskins needs. While Thursday night’s Hall of Fame game between Pittsburgh and Dallas won’t draw the interest of a normal game, it’s certainly meaningful for the third-year quarterback trying to re-invent himself.

Tomlin has already acknowledged Haskins will be taking over for Rudolph sometime in the first half. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted, it’s the perfect opportunity for Haskins to show the coaching staff he should be the second option behind Big Ben. That would be just one step closer.

“He’s grown by leaps and bounds,” Tomlin said of Haskins in a press conference provided by the Steelers. “He does a good job of communicating with coaches, with players, gaining an understanding of what we’re trying to do schematically and his role in it, gaining a rapport with the receivers specifically, trying to do the things that we want him to do in the drill work that we do. We’ve made an emphasis that drill work is football-like, but not necessarily football, and so we have certain things that we emphasize under those circumstances. I think he’s done a nice job of that. I think a lot of guys have.”