Dwayne Haskins has not exactly had the best season of his career thus far. Just recently, the Washington Football Team quarterback was dropped from the starting lineup by coach Ron Rivera, which to some, was a clear indication of the coach's lack of confidence in the 23-year-old.

Rivera was asked about this exact notion in a recent interview, and the veteran coach reiterated how he certainly has not lost hope in his young QB:

“Again, as I said, I have not quit on the kid as far as his development,” Rivera told reporters Wednesday, via Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports. “This is an opportunity for him to continue to learn and grow and develop.”

Unfortunately for Haskins, not only was he dropped to the bench, but Rivera actually demoted him to a third-string QB role. Kyle Allen was given the nod as the starter, while Alex Smith was promoted as his reserve. According to Rivera, these changes were more of a tactical decision:

“The thing that we’ve done is we’ve looked at where we are and said: ‘Hey, these guys give us a better chance to win right now because they know what we do, they understand the system and they’ve been in the system.

“I thought these guys with their knowledge of what we do gives us a better chance,” Rivera continued. “This is a pretty interesting set of circumstances these next five games.”

Article Continues Below
Related News
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium.
Commanders rumors: Louis Reddick reveals 3 goals for Washington in 2025Scotty White ·
Carolina Panthers linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (7) during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium.
Commanders rumors: Jadeveon Clowney signing urged after losing sack leaderBen Strauss ·
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) walks off the field after losing the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels earns lofty spot in PFF’s 2025 rankingsBenjamin Adducchio ·
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) scores a touchdown against Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium.
Commanders’ single best move in 2025 NFL offseasonDouglas Fritz ·
image thumbnail
1 Washington Commanders rookie who stood out most in 2025 minicampDouglas Fritz ·
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium.
Terry McLaurin’s practice absence fuels Commanders contract talksBenedetto Vitale ·

The good news here for Haskins is that he still appears to be on his coach's good graces. Then again, Rivera did imply that this experiment is going to last for at least the next five games, so Haskins might just be in the doghouse longer than initially expected.

Nevertheless, Rivera continued to defend Haskins, explaining how the former Ohio State standout just needs to get more reps in:

“Dwayne’s a young man that’s learning and growing. He hasn’t been in the system,” Rivera said. “He hasn’t had the benefit of a full offseason. He hasn’t had the benefit of a true training camp. Based on what I saw, I made the decision to make the switch.”

Needless to say, this is not an ideal situation for Haskins. At this point, however, he seems to have no other choice but to just keep his head down and continue to fight his way to the starting lineup.