Quarterback Dwayne Haskins signed a one-year restricted free agent tender.
Haskins, who was originally signed by the Steelers in the 2021 offseason, didn't see any playing time last season, but after the season said he feels like he can still be a starter in the NFL.
"I feel like I can be a starter in this league. I got drafted for that reason," said Haskins in January. "I definitely believe I have the talent to. I just haven't put it all together yet. And that's something I have to do this offseason to put myself in position to play.
"I've wanted to be a quarterback my entire life. Being a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers is a dream. I always had great respect for the black and gold. Great respect for Coach (Mike) Tomlin, 15 seasons with no losing season. I want to show him that I want this bad. I want to be a leader. I want to be a guy that people can rely on, on and off the field to be more than just a guy that can throw a ball, talented enough to be in a position where I can execute at a high level and keep the Steelers way."
Haskins was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the No. 15 pick overall, by the Washington Commanders. He has completed 267 of 444 pass attempts for 2,804 yards (60.1%) with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in two seasons. In 2020 he completed 148 of 241 passes for 1,439 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions, before being released by Washington.
The 2021 season was a different one for him, but he used the time to learn and grow.
"I feel like I learned a lot from not playing," said Haskins. "Coach T, a lot of guys just wanted me to just have an opportunity to sit back and learn. I never really had a chance to get to learn the NFL game the way that it should be done and the way the Steelers want it done. They gave me an opportunity to understand the Steelers way of how they want their quarterbacks to operate. That was a great learning experience to be able to move forward this year and try to embody what it is to be a guy like Ben, take over a great franchise the way that he did.
"Anytime you get an opportunity to sit back and learn, you get to see what to do and what not to do. And I feel like I had a great chance this year to see what it's like to be a leader. A guy like Ben, a Hall of Fame quarterback, guys have a lot of respect for him. Especially when we play other teams. Players on the opposing team showing a lot of gratitude and respect. I think that the best thing for me was being able to see it in practice every day. Some days, on Wednesdays, Ben would have a vet day. I was able to go with the ones, able to go against the first team defense, and it was a good experience as far as still being able to progress and get better. So, I got better this year even if I didn't get a chance to play."
Haskins played college football at Ohio State where he finished third in the Heisman Trophy race in 2018. He finished his college career completing 413 of 590 passes (70%) for 5,396 yards, 54 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In 2018 he had 373 completions for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
