Steelers HC Mike Tomlin: Dwayne Haskins 'in command' in preseason opener

Dwayne Haskins is hoping to revive his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He got out to a good start during training camp, and his success continued into Pittsburgh's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Haskins completed 16-of-22 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 24-16 win. He served as Pittsburgh's second quarterback behind Mason Rudolph. The Steelers held Ben Roethlisberger out. 

"I thought he was in command tonight," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said of Haskins, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "He did a great job communicating with people, going through his progressions. There was a third-down play, third-and-8 maybe, and I saw him go through three or four reads and throw the ball over the middle of the field and converted for us. That was a snapshot of the night he had."

Haskins, a former first-round pick of the Washington Football Team, is competing with Rudolph to be Roethlisberger's backup this season. His performance against the Eagles comes after a solid debut against the Dallas Cowboys last week in the Hall of Fame Game. The 24-year-old completed 8-of-13 passes for 54 yards. Both drives he led ended in scores. 

If Haskins beats Rudolph for the backup job, he could eventually become Pittsburgh's starter. Roethlisberger is nearing the end of his career, and the team currently doesn't have many other quarterback options. 

Haskins had a difficult time with the Washington Football Team, being stripped of his captaincy last season and fined $40,000 for violating COVID-19 protocols twice. The team eventually released him in December, saying it believed the decision was best for both sides. 

Those issues appear to be behind the quarterback, though, as he seems locked in and ready for the 2021 season.