NFL Rumors: Washington QB Dwayne Haskins Might Soon Be Replaced By Kyle Allen, Per Ian Rapoport
According to a new report, it might not be long before the Washington Football Team replaces erstwhile starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins — who was selected by the organization in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft — with second-stringer Kyle Allen.
Citing sources familiar with the situation, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport wrote on Sunday that Haskins “must improve greatly” if he wants to retain his first-string status and is heading into a “critical stretch” in his development as a young signal-caller. He added that there’s a possibility Washington head coach Ron Rivera might pull Haskins in favor of Allen — his starting quarterback with the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 season — if the former continues to play poorly during the team’s game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
As further explained, it appears that Washington isn’t just concerned about Haskins’ Week 3 performance against the Cleveland Browns, where he threw three interceptions in a 34-20 loss. Following the Ravens game, the team will be facing the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions in their next five games, and it is reportedly believed that Washington could make the most out of this tough schedule with “improved QB play.”
“It’s possible Allen is the quarterback in place to see if that can happen,” Rapoport wrote.
Allen, who made his professional debut in 2018 as an undrafted free agent, took over for an injured Cam Newton as the Panthers’ first-string signal-caller in 2019, throwing 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,222 yards, according to Pro Football Reference. Washington acquired him earlier this year for a fifth-round draft pick, though he has yet to take a snap this season.
While the editors of the NFL’s official website only ranked Allen 36th out of 57 quarterbacks who had at least one start in 2019, putting him eight places below the 28th-ranked Haskins, he did have three starts where he had a passer rating that exceeded 100. Rapoport likewise brought up his familiarity with Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s system, given that both men had also worked together during their time in Carolina.
Regarding Haskins’ performance in his second professional season, Rapoport pinned his slow start on how Washington is an organization in “transition,” with an overall lack of talent on the offensive end. Although he didn’t have any competition during training camp this year, the former Ohio State star has seemingly struggled in multiple aspects of his game, as it was noted that he tends to be sacked frequently and hasn’t shown much composure in the pocket.
