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Dwayne Haskins was struck and killed in a tragic incident on a South Florida highway over the weekend, and his death resonated throughout the NFL world.
The former Washington and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback joined the NFL before the start of the 2019 season. He was Washington’s first-round draft pick of the 2019 and started 13 games for the team between 2019 and 2020. He was released after the 2020 season and signed by the Steelers ahead of the 2021 season. He served primarily in the backup role.
Michael Irvin, a former Dallas Cowboys legend who serves as an analyst for the NFL network and continues to closely monitor the team, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he may have only met Haskins once and felt “bad” when he heard the news the quarterback is passing.
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NFL Network’s Michael Irvin watches during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“I felt so bad when I heard this news. I felt bad seeing some of the things that went down with him in the few years he’s had in the NFL. I thought he had gotten into a difficult situation in Washington. It’s a difficult situation,” Irvin said.
Irvin, who recently became an investor in education platform TradeZing, said he hopes Haskins will evolve and become a beginning quarterback again.
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Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins and Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys pose for a photo after swapping jerseys at the end of the game at FedExField September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Will Newton/Getty Images)
“There’s a lot of pressure that comes on quarterbacks that come into this league and the quarterback has to carry that mantra and it’s a difficult mantra to carry. They expect you to walk a certain path and lead a bunch of grown men, and I thought he needed a little more time,” Irvin said. “He could have developed into who he wanted to be in the National Football League.
“I just hate that his time has been cut short and I pray for his family and friends.”
Haskins was killed early Saturday morning when he was struck by a dump truck while walking on a South Florida freeway, officials said. Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Indiana Miranda said Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene.
“He was attempting to cross westbound on Interstate 595 when there was oncoming traffic,” Miranda said in a statement.
Miranda said the incident was “an open traffic investigation.”
Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins signs autographs for fans before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Will Newton/Getty Images)
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It wasn’t immediately known why Haskins was on the freeway at the time. He appeared to be in South Florida throughout the week, training with Steelers teammate Mitchell Trubisky, running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth.