After ‘worst week’ of his life, Dwayne Haskins is determined to earn another shot in the NFL

“I definitely feel like I have the skills to play quarterback at a high level in the NFL,” Haskins told WUSA’s Darren Haynes in an interview Monday. “I need someone to believe in me and give me a good opportunity. I’m going to have to earn that, I have to work for that. By no means will it be easy, but I’m definitely willing to put the work in to earn that, whether it’s right away or in the future. I love playing football, I love the game.”

A somber Haskins said he looked forward to being “accountable and someone that can be trusted, on and off the field.” He mentioned the importance of arriving at the team facility early, leaving late and being a student of the game. Haskins’s refusal to do those things during his two seasons in Washington frustrated coaches and likely contributed to his poor performance. A week before he was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, Haskins was fined and had his captaincy revoked for not wearing a mask at a party. It was the second time this season that he violated league coronavirus protocols.

Following his release, Haskins tweeted that he took “full responsibility for not meeting the standards” of an NFL quarterback and vowed to become a better man and player. He echoed that sentiment in his interview Monday.

“I have no doubt in my mind that I can overcome this, and that I can grow and become a better person, better athlete, better quarterback, better leader because of this,” Haskins said. “That’s something that I’m praying and working for being able to show, and I’m hoping that a new change of scenery can help with that. I’m just thankful for my teammates, thankful for the people that believe in me in the building, and I’m sorry for letting them down. It’s something that I’ll use as motivation moving forward, another, bigger chip on my shoulder.”

Haskins, who has since parted ways with his agent, told Haynes that the week leading up to his release on Monday was the “hardest week, worst week” of his life, but he’s optimistic about the future.

“All good things come to an end eventually, so I was just thankful that I was even able to get drafted,” said Haskins, who starred at Bullis School in Potomac, Md., before heading to Ohio State. “I was thankful to come home and be in the DMV area, and I’m just praying and hoping for another opportunity, and I’m looking forward to making the most of it.”