2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins goes unclaimed, becomes free agent

Former Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins will be able to select his next NFL employer. The 23-year-old must now convince a team he deserves a second chance. 

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday that Haskins went unclaimed on waivers one day after he was released by Washington. The 15th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft now becomes a free agent. 

The news is hardly surprising considering the majority of playoff contenders are less than two full weeks away from starting their postseason journeys. Haskins twice violated COVID-19 protocols while with Washington, and the most recent incident that involved him attending a social gathering without wearing a face-covering cost him $40,000 in fines and his club captaincy. 

Head coach Ron Rivera tried to get through to Haskins when he relegated the former first-round selection to third on the depth chart behind former starter Kyle Allen and Comeback Player of the Year candidate Alex Smith in October. Rivera was forced to insert Haskins back in the lineup because of injuries that sidelined his other options, but the coach turned to Taylor Heinicke during last Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers. 

After that game, reports surfaced that Rivera again intended to drop Haskins to the bottom of the depth chart ahead of a must-win Week 17 showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles. That wasn't necessary after Washington cut the young man, who will go down as one of the biggest busts in franchise history.