Haskins was selected by theWashington Redskins in the first round of the2019 NFL draft, but was released after less than two seasons due to inconsistent play and questions over his work ethic. He signed with thePittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and served as a backup until his death the following off-season when he was fatally struck by a vehicle.
Haskinsredshirted his first year with theBuckeyes in 2016. The following year, he was the backup toJ. T. Barrett.[9][10] He finished the season completing 40 of 57 passes for 565 yards and four touchdowns.[11] Haskins then went on to have a record-setting campaign in his sophomore season in 2018, which was his lone starting season at the school.[12][13] He claimed the single-season passing and touchdownrecords for Ohio State and theBig Ten by eclipsing the 4,000-passing yards mark and throwing 50 touchdowns, making him just one of eightNCAA quarterbacks to ever achieve the latter in a single season.[14]
Additionally, he claimed school records in total offense in a season (4,900+ yards), total offensive yards in a game (477) and total passing yards in a game (470). In all 12 of his starts, he threw for more than 225 passing yards, including eight games of more than 300 yards, and four games of more than 400. He threw for 499 yards and five touchdowns in the2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game, while throwing three touchdowns in the2019 Rose Bowl, winning the MVP award in both games for his performance.[15][16]
Haskins after his first win as a starting NFL quarterback, 2019
Haskins was selected by theWashington Redskins in the first round of the2019 NFL draft, 15th overall.[25] Despite his high school and collegejersey number of 7 being unofficially retired by the Redskins in honor of quarterbackJoe Theismann, whose career ended with aleg injury in 1985, Haskins requested and was granted permission from him to wear it.[26] Haskins signed his four-year rookie contract on May 9, 2019,[27] worth $14.37 million, including an $8.47 million signing bonus.[28]
Haskins saw his first action with the team in a Week 4 game against theNew York Giants in relief ofCase Keenum, who was benched for poor performance. In the game, Haskins also struggled, throwing for 107 yards and threeinterceptions, including apick-six, as the Redskins lost 24–3.[29] During a Week 8 game against theMinnesota Vikings, Haskins again replaced Keenum, who left the game due to a concussion. He finished the game with 33 passing yards and an interception as the Redskins lost 19–9.[30] The following week Haskins made his first career start against theBuffalo Bills, finishing with 144 passing yards as the team lost 24–9.[31]
Haskins' first win as a starter came during Week 12 against theDetroit Lions, where he finished with 156 passing yards, 28 rushing yards, and an interception in the 19–16 victory. He was criticized for his work ethic when late in the game, he was posing for a selfie with fans so the substitute quarterback was sent in.[32] For his efforts, he was named thePepsi NFL Rookie of the Week.[33] In Week 16 against the Giants, Haskins threw for 133 yards and two touchdowns before being carted off the field due to an ankle injury suffered on the first play of the third quarter, which also made him miss the following week's game.[34][35]
Haskins running with the ball against the Seahawks
Prior to the 2020 season, Haskins lost around seven-percent in total body fat and was named the starter and one of theteam captains.[36][37][38] In a Week 3 loss against theCleveland Browns, Haskins threw three interceptions and lost a fumble.[39] The following week against theBaltimore Ravens, he threw for a career-high 314 yards in another loss.[40] Haskins was benched in favor ofKyle Allen prior to the Week 5 game against theLos Angeles Rams due to coaches being unimpressed with his work ethic and performance.[41][42] In October 2020, he was finedUS$4,833 for breaking leagueCOVID-19 protocols after making a reservation for a family friend at the team hotel in New York prior to a game against the Giants.[43]
Haskins remained as the team's backup until the Week 14 game against theSan Francisco 49ers, where he played in the second half afterAlex Smith left the game due to a calf strain.[44] He then started the following week's game against theSeattle Seahawks because Smith had yet to recover from his injury. In the game, Haskins threw for 295 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions during a 20–15 loss.[45] Following the game, Haskins was photographed attending his girlfriend's birthday party without wearing aface mask. Due to breaking COVID-19 protocols again, he was fined $40,000 by the team and lost his status as a captain.[46] Despite that, he started the Week 16 game against theCarolina Panthers but was benched forTaylor Heinicke in the fourth quarter after throwing 14 of 28 for 154 yards and two interceptions, finishing with apasser rating of 36.9 in a 20–13 loss.[47] Haskins was released by the team the day after, with head coachRon Rivera saying he believed that it benefited both parties if they went their separate ways.[48]
Haskins went by the nicknameSimba, taken from the protagonist of the 1994 filmThe Lion King. He adopted it as a child due to his having anafro at the time that reminded his mother of alion's mane. He used the nickname and the film'scoming-of-age story as motivation and incorporated it into his personal clothing brand, Kingdom of Pride.[56]
Haskins died as a direct result of injuries he sustained at around 7:00a.m.EDT on April 9, 2022, after he was struck by adump truck while attempting to crossI-595 nearFort Lauderdale, Florida, on foot.[57][58] He was in Florida to train with several of his Steelers teammates.[59][60] His wife, who was not traveling with him, received a call from Haskins after he had run out of gasoline for his rented vehicle, letting her know of his attempt to get more at a gas station prior to being struck.[61] Haskins was knocked back several feet by a dump truck and either run over or struck a second time by anSUV that swerved in an attempt to avoid him.[62] A toxicology report revealed Haskins had ablood alcohol level of .24 and had also tested positive forketamine,oxymorphone,methamphetamine andnorketamine.[63]
A lawsuit filed about the incident claims that Haskins was drugged and robbed by a group that contained one man and three women prior to his death. It accuses the dump truck of speeding, operating carelessly, and violating weight limit regulations, and also claims the rental truck driven by Haskins had a defect that led to it running out of gas.[64]
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