Quarterback Dwayne Haskins will start for the Washington Football Team on Sunday against the visiting Carolina Panthers.
Fellow quarterback Alex Smith was inactive Sunday as he continued to recover from a right calf injury suffered in Washington’s 23-15 victory over San Francisco on Dec. 13.
Haskins, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, completed 38 of 55 passes for 295 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in Washington’s 20-15 home loss to Seattle last Sunday. He was then spotted at a strip club on Sunday night without following proper COVID-19 protocols. He was fined $40,000 by the team and stripped of his captaincy.
In six games (five starts) this season, Haskins has completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,285 yards with five TDs and five picks.
Smith, 36, is 4-1 since taking over as the starter in Week 10. After missing all of 2019 recovering from a leg injury and a life-threatening infection, he has completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 1,420 yards with four touchdowns and six picks in seven appearances this season.
Washington (6-8) holds a one-game lead in the NFC East over the New York Giants (5-9) and Dallas Cowboys (5-9).