Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins passed away tragically on Saturday morning after being struck by a car in South Florida.
Haskins, who played for the Ohio State Buckeyes in college and was a first-round pick in the NFL several years ago, was just 24 years old.
News of his passing soon brought comments from various NFL stars as they mourned the NFL quarterback’s death and paid tribute.
Steelers’ QB Dwayne Haskins tragically dies in South Florida
On Saturday morning, ESPN reported that Dwayne Haskins was killed in Boca Raton in South Florida. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 24-year-old NFL quarterback was there to train for his future in the league along with other Steelers players.
Schefter said a police report wasn’t available yet, so it was unclear exactly what happened. However, he suggested Haskins may have stepped out of his car alongside the highway and was “clipped” by another vehicle. While speaking on ESPN, Schefter indicated it was a “tragedy” and nothing “nefarious” happened, adding that a police report would be forthcoming.
Haskins was over three weeks away from his 25th birthday and was competing for a spot in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback rotation following three seasons with the Washington franchise.
He was originally drafted at No. 15 overall by Washington out of Ohio State in 2019. During his college career, Haskins was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2018 and was also a Heisman finalist. He also won MVP of the Rose Bowl in 2019 and the 2018 Big Ten Championship Game, among other achievements.
Just last year, Haskins married Kalabrya Gondrezick, a Michigan State basketball player. In December, he shared a sweet tribute to his wife on Instagram following her Michigan State graduation ceremony.
NFL stars react to Haskins’ tragic death
ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated that many people around the NFL were in “disbelief” and “stopped in the tracks” after hearing of Haskins’ death. Along with fans, the NFL, its players, and personnel also reacted to Haskins’ death on social media.
“Tough to find the words… you will be missed,” wrote Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in a tweet that included a video clip of Haskins.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, also 24, shared his thoughts on the “heartbreaking” loss.
Former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III said Haskins “had so much life ahead of him even beyond the football field.”
Steelers’ defensive star TJ Watt said Haskins’ “impact” on him “will last forever.”
Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin shared a statement following the news of Haskins’ death, saying he felt “devastated and at a loss for words.”
“He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community,” Tomlin said, also calling him a “great teammate” and “tremendous friend to so many.”
Haskins’ college coach Urban Meyer called him “one of the greatest QB’s in Ohio State history, but an even better son, teammate, and friend.”
Haskins’ NFL career included 15 games over two seasons while with Washington. The team released him in 2020, and he signed a reserve/future contract with the Steelers last January.
He initially became a third-string QB with Pittsburgh, but with the departure of Ben Roethlisberger, Haskins was looking to compete for a more significant role this upcoming NFL season.