Joe Theismann wants Redskins to go old school with Dwayne Haskins

Dwayne Haskins may have a chance to win the starting job for the Redskins, but Joe Theismann is recommending the opposite path.

Once upon a time, rookie quarterbacks sat and learned in the NFL behind a veteran, sometimes for years. But times have changed, and the Washington Redskins first-round pick Dwayne Haskins will get a chance to earn the start right out of the gate as a rookie.

Joe Theismann did not start a game until his third NFL season (1976), with 33 pass attempts over his first two seasons, and he didn’t start double-digit games in a season until 1978. So he’s definitely from the old school. Despite giving Haskins his blessing to wear his old number (7) for the Redskins, Theismann doesn’t want to see the rookie out of Ohio State on the field anytime soon.

Theismann made an appearance on 106.7 The Fan over the weekend, and he cited Washington’s tough early schedule as a reason to keep Haskins on the sideline.

"I would definitely say he shouldn’t start. Our first five games are in Philly, Dallas at home, Chicago on a Monday night, then we get the Giants, and then we get New England. The young man’s played 13 football games."

Theismann didn’t stop there.

"To me, the best scenario for Dwayne would be this — is to sit this year, Case plays, Colt comes back, is healthy enough to be able to be in competition and/or a part of the ball club … and give Dwayne a chance to process everything,"

Colt McCoy is recovering from a broken leg, and Case Keenum is somewhat penciled in atop the depth chart after being acquired via trade from the Denver Broncos. But if Haskins is given a legit chance to win the starting job, as head coach Jay Gruden has suggested will happen, it’s easy to see him starting Week 1 over two career backups.

If Haskins doesn’t show himself to be Washington’s best quarterback during training camp and preseason, then he shouldn’t start right away. Theismann’s opinion surely doesn’t carry any credible weight within the Redskins’ organization (though who really knows). But antiquated thinking like that should have no place in the decision to play Haskins, or not, as a rookie.