By Connor Grott
Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins was fined and removed from his role as a team captain Wednesday, three days after he was photographed at a party while not wearing a mask.
League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that Haskins’ fine was for $40,000.
“The biggest thing is we are holding him accountable and he’s been punished and he accepted it,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Wednesday. “As we go forward, that’s the thing that we’re looking for, is that if you make a mistake you’ve got to step up and you have to take responsibility.
“… Although we are extremely disappointed in the decision Dwayne made, I’m glad that he had told the truth and was upfront about the entire situation.”
Despite the punishment, there is a chance Haskins will continue to start for Washington (6-8), which hosts the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Veteran quarterback Alex Smith was limited in Wednesday’s practice because of a strained right calf.
“I know my team needs me,” Haskins told reporters. “I need to step up to the plate and I can’t be selfish and I need to stop getting in my own way. I’m putting things in motion as far as a plan for myself to be a better teammate and be more accountable and fix my issues that have brought me to this situation.”
Following Washington’s game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Haskins attended his girlfriend’s birthday party at a hotel where strippers were in attendance. It marked the second time this season in which he violated the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.
Earlier this year, the 23-year-old Haskins made a reservation for a family friend at the team hotel before a game against the New York Giants. He was fined $4,833 for the violation.
“I know I shouldn’t have put my team at risk,” Haskins said about the incident this week. “I shouldn’t have been there. We were more than 10 people not wearing masks and that’s a violation regardless of where it was at.”
Washington is scheduled to play the Panthers at 4:05 p.m. EST Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
