Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State and former first-round pick of the Washington Commanders, died Saturday, CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson confirms. He was 24.
Haskins was struck by a dump truck while walking on foot westbound on Interstate 595 near Fort Lauderdale, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Indiana Miranda confirmed to the Associated Press. The fatal accident, which caused the highway to be shut down for several hours, was reported around 6:37 a.m. ET. Haskins was pronounced dead on the scene. A traffic homicide investigation remains open, per The Washington Post.
Haskins was in South Florida working out with other Steelers teammates, agent Cedric Saunders told ESPN. He would have turned 25 years old on May 3.
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement released by the team. “He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time.”
Prior to the NFL, Haskins was a record-setting signal caller at Ohio State where he claimed school and Big Ten crowns for passing yards and passing touchdowns during his 2018 season. That year, he threw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns while leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and a win in the Rose Bowl, where he’d earn MVP honors.
That success in Columbus, Ohio, made Haskins an intriguing prospect at the NFL level, which led to Washington taking him with the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
“We are devastated to hear the news of the tragic passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr.,” Commanders co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder said in a statement released by the team. “He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Our hearts and prayers are with the members of Dwayne’s family and all of those who knew him and loved him.”
“I am absolutely heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr.,” added Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in his statement. “Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him. This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team is saying he will be sorely missed. Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time.”
Since becoming a pro, Haskins struggled to solidify himself as a franchise quarterback, going 3-10 as the starter for Washington over his first two seasons with the club. He was eventually released by the organization during the 2020 campaign.
Haskins then signed with the Steelers in January 2021 and worked as the third-string quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph. This offseason, Haskins, a restricted free agent, was tendered by Pittsburgh, meaning he was slated to have another season with the team in 2022.
