Report: Dwayne Haskins ‘checking his phone’ during warmups

The knock on Dwayne Haskins was that he didn’t prepare seriously enough when he was with the Washington Football Team.

Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Haskins’ preparation — or lack thereof — still seems to be a focal point. 

The NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala tweeted Monday that Haskins “spent warm-ups throwing lousy passes (and) checking his phone” before Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

Haskins, the 15th overall pick in 2019, has been Pittsburgh’s third-string quarterback for most of the season. But on Sunday, he became the primary backup as starter Ben Roethlisberger was out due to a positive COVID-19 test. 

Mason Rudolph has had 4 years to show who he is. Dwayne Haskins, ostensibly one play from his 1st game action yesterday, spent warm-ups throwing lousy passes & checking his phone. Ben Roethlisberger may not be who he once was, but there’s a reason he’s your QB, #Steelers fans. https://t.co/MyQYaMTqeb

— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) November 15, 2021

Washington released Haskins before the end of last season after numerous incidents. The 23-year-old was caught partying and violating the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols after a game last year, an incident that caused Haskins to apologize. The quarterback was also benched after four games — with coach Ron Rivera later admitting Haskins’ work ethic was inconsistent.  

This also isn’t the first phone-related controversy related to Haskins. During the quarterback’s rookie year, Haskins missed the final play of his first win because he was busy taking a selfie with fans. 

The Steelers signed Haskins in January in an attempt to salvage his career. Haskins made the team’s 53-man roster, but failed to beat out backup Mason Rudolph.