Soon after news that the Washington Football Team had released quarterback Dwayne Haskins on Monday, current and former NFL players, media members and even a former NFL team executive took to social media to offer everything from encouraging words to general surprise to hindsight surrounding the 2019 NFL draft first-round pick.
Haskins was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 16 game after throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in a 20-13 home loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Washington coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Taylor Heinicke, who replaced Haskins in Sunday's contest, would start in the team's regular-season finale at the Philadelphia Eagles if Alex Smith remains sidelined with a right calf injury.
Check out some of the social media reaction from players such as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant.
Wishing the best for @dh_simba7
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 28, 2020
You are only 23! Learn from this and bounce back
Keep your head up Haskins
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) December 28, 2020
Allow this situation to make you stronger... you got this 🙏🏿
Damn. https://t.co/4skUyuqBB3
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) December 28, 2020
Dwayne will be fine. Judge a man by his progress, not his mistakes! We all got his back https://t.co/amJcrodPff
— Geno (@GenoSmith3) December 28, 2020
Dwayne's situation is bigger than just ball. Young student athletes better pay attention.
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) December 28, 2020
Talk about drawing a line in the Sand😳 https://t.co/cx9GHd42sB
— Takeo Spikes, M.B.A (@TakeoSpikes51) December 28, 2020
https://t.co/GIFEszGTOs pic.twitter.com/4i17Dt8VI1
— hydrated king chris long (@JOEL9ONE) December 28, 2020
You find out a lot about yourself when you hit rock-bottom. You also find out a lot about others when you hit rock-bottom.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) December 28, 2020
I hear you but you can't partner terrible play and team distraction. He set his own fate being selfish and not producing.
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) December 28, 2020
How Sway... I mean I know but dang. Dude was a first rounder. https://t.co/g5EzrZXz5q pic.twitter.com/ILW7NDU4CA
— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) December 28, 2020
Took more heat for emphatically predicting Haskins would be a bust than anything I have put on Twitter. So many people in the media loved this guy, and so few teams thought much of him. Some had him as not only top QB in that draft, but in best years
— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) December 28, 2020
Even on vacation I need to step out and say this: I was totally WRONG about Dwayne Haskins. Thinking the @Giants were foolish to pass up on him in favor of Daniel Jones, I look like a damn fool. You know how bad you have to be as a player - and person - to be a 1st-round pick...
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 28, 2020
And still get released inside of two years? This has bad attitude written all over it. Not being mature enough. Not working hard enough. Why else would @WashingtonNFL let him go right now? Inside of 2 years, Haskins entire football career is now officially in grave jeopardy.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 28, 2020
I will never forget the week leading up the draft in 2019. A member of the Washington coaching staff told me he was going to actually throw up in the war room because ownership wasn't listening. Coaches didn't believe Haskins was the right person to be the future of the franchise
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) December 28, 2020