Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins faces team and league discipline after photos of him iut Sunday night without a mask surfaced. Haskins apologized on Tuesday. Susan Walsh/Associated Press
Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins publicly apologized Tuesday after photo evidence came to light of him partying with several people unmasked after playing Sunday.
Haskins said on Twitter he spoke with Coach Ron Rivera and took full responsibility for putting the team at risk during the pandemic.
“It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action,” Haskins said. “I also want to apologize for creating a distraction for my team during our playoff push. I will learn and grow from this and do what’s best for the team moving forward.”
The team is aware of the situation and said it’s handling it internally. There was no immediate word whether Haskins would be fined or suspended for violating COVID-19 protocols. The team fined him earlier this season for a separate violation while on the road.
Per a league spokesman, the NFL has been in touch with the team but has no further comment. The NFL Players Association is also aware of the issue. The team became aware of Haskins’ actions on Monday after social media posts from the previous night circulated showing Haskins and others appearing to dine in a private room at an Oceanaire Seafood Room and partying maskless in a nightclub or a party bus.
Patronizing a nightclub without personal protective equipment is considered “High Risk COVID-19 Conduct,” according to the NFL’s coronavirus protocols, and is punishable by a fine up to one week’s salary, or up to a four-game suspension. A team has discretion to discipline a player or personnel member for conduct detrimental to the team for a COVID-related protocol violation.
Haskins started Sunday for the first time since early October and threw two interceptions and a touchdown in a 20-15 loss to Seattle. It’s unclear if he’ll play in Washington’s next game against the Carolina Panthers that could be the NFC East clincher, though Rivera called Alex Smith the starter if healthy.
Rivera benched the 2019 first-round pick after four games this season because he felt the offense was better off in experienced hands. He turned first to Kyle Allen, then to Smith when Allen was injured. Haskins got the start against Seattle essentially by default as the last healthy quarterback on the roster.
49ERS: Nick Mullens will miss the rest of the season with a serious elbow injury, moving third-stringer C.J. Beathard into a starting role for the final two games and sending the San Francisco 49ers on desperate search for a backup.
Mullens got hurt late in Sunday’s loss at Dallas and Coach Kyle Shanahan said he will likely need reconstructive surgery on his throwing elbow.
Starter Jimmy Garoppolo has been cleared to return to practice from an ankle injury that has sidelined him the past six games, but won’t be ready to play Saturday night against Arizona. Backup Josh Johnson was placed on the COVID-19 list Tuesday, leaving Beathard as the only available quarterback.
Shanahan said he doesn’t expect Garoppolo to be cleared to play this week.
“I’d be very surprised if that happens,” he said.
According to reports, the Niners are planning to sign 2018 No. 10 overall pick Josh Rosen off Tampa Bay’s practice squad. Rosen terminated his contract with Tampa Bay on Tuesday and is set to join the 49ers on Wednesday.
CHIEFS: Starting linebacker Anthony Hitchens was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday and the Chiefs would find themselves in a bad spot at the linebacker he misses time with two regular-season games to go before the postseason.
Damien Wilson, who starts alongside Hitchens – whose 78 tackles rank second on the team – has missed two straight games with a knee injury. The team’s depth is further strained after Emmanuel Smith suffered a hamstring injury in Week 15. Dorian O’Daniel, a standout on special teams, recently landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
JETS: New York defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday and linebacker Harvey Langi was placed on season-ending injured reserve.
THE NFL SAID Tuesday that there were 14 confirmed positives among players and 31 new confirmed positives among other personnel in the league’s latest round of testing for the novel coronavirus.
In all, 16,222 COVID-19 tests were administered over a seven-day period ending last Saturday to 2,391 players, and 25,279 tests were administered to 4,536 personnel.
That brings the totals since testing began Aug. 1 to 201 players and 359 other personnel as confirmed positive cases out of more than 840,000 tests.
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are immediately isolated and not permitted access to club facilities or direct contact with players or personnel. Club medical staff are in regular communication with those who test positive to monitor symptoms.
LIONS: Detroit closed its training facility after two people within the franchise tested positive for COVID-19.
The Lions say players and coaches will have virtual meetings Tuesday.
Detroit is scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win, on Saturday at Ford Field.
BROWNS: Offensive lineman Chris Hubbard was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after sustaining a serious knee injury in Sunday night’s win over the New York Giants.
Hubbard is expected to undergo surgery at some point this week. The 29-year-old, who was filling in at right guard for injured starter Wyatt Teller, got hurt when his right knee buckled as he was pass-blocking for quarterback Baker Mayfield on Cleveland’s second play.
Hubbard started 14 games at right tackle for the Browns last season. He’s subbed at both tackle and guard in 2020, his third year with Cleveland after four in Pittsburgh. Hubbard’s loss is a blow to the Browns, who have counted on his versatility while Teller recovered from a sprained ankle and right tackle Jack Conklin was out for a game.
FALCONS: Atlanta waived cornerback Jordan Miller, a fifth-round draft pick in 2019. Miller had been on the reserve/injured list with an oblique injury. He missed the season’s first three games on the suspended list as he completed his punishment for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy late last season.
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