‘It Was A Mistake’: ESPN NFL Insider Apologizes For ‘Insensitive’ Dwayne Haskins Tweet

Joe MorganApril 12, 2022

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter apologized on Monday for his Saturday tweet when reporting the death of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

“It was insensitive,” Schefter said Monday on ‘The Adam Schefter Podcast.” “It was a mistake. And I can assure you it was not my intention. I wish I could have that tweet back. The focus should have been on Dwayne. Who he was as a person, a husband, a friend, and so much more. I wanted to apologize to Dwayne’s family, his friends, the players in the National Football League, and offer my condolences to everybody close to Dwayne.”

An apology and a tribute to Dwayne Haskins. pic.twitter.com/QxjShC4ZYu

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2022

On Saturday, Schefter reported Haskins’s death on Twitter, saying “Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsburgh in the NFL, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida, per his agent Cedric Saunders,” Schefter wrote on Twitter. “Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3.”

According to ESPN, Haskins “was struck by a dump truck while he was walking on a South Florida highway,” early Saturday morning, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“He was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 when there was oncoming traffic,” Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Lt. Indiana Miranda said.

Social media immediately jumped on Schefter for his choice of words, hammering the NFL insider for bringing up Haskins’s struggles in his short NFL career. Schefter quickly deleted the tweet, sharing a new post with different wording, after several NFL players criticized Schefter for his original post.

“How about ‘Dwayne Haskins, son, husband, buckeye brother, friend, beloved teammate has passed away’ TF his career ups and downs have to do with him unfortunately losing his life STFU!” former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones posted to Twitter. “Let his family & friends grieve instead of throwing shade. Praying for the Haskins family!!”

How about “ Dwayne Haskins, son, husband, buckeye brother, friend, beloved teammate has passed away” TF his career ups and downs have to do with him unfortunately losing his life🤦🏾‍♂️ STFU! Let his family & friends grieve instead of throwing shade. Praying for the Haskins family!! pic.twitter.com/gb1D9KcgCQ

— Cardale Jones (@CJ1two) April 9, 2022

12-year NFL veteran cornerback Joe Haden told Schefter to “do better.”

“You gotta do better [Adam Schefter] !!! This is wild!! A MAN lost his life!!” Haden posted.

You gotta do better @AdamSchefter !!! This is wild!! A MAN lost his life!! https://t.co/BowSkkLw66

— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) April 9, 2022

Haskins was drafted by the now Washington Commanders in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft after a spectacular 2018 season at Ohio State, throwing for 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He struggled in his first two NFL seasons, starting just 13 games for Washington. Haskins signed with the Steelers prior to the 2021 season.

“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “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. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time,” the statement continued.

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

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