Questioned on Haskins’ illness, Rivera says he’s ‘not the doctor’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
On Wednesday, quarterback Dwayne Haskins was sent home from the facility by team doctors as he continues to deal with a non-COVID illness that forced him to miss Washington’s Week 5 contest.
Though the team and head coach Ron Rivera had been clear that they were just following protocols set by the doctors, the situation came just after Haskins had removed from the starting position, leading some to question if there was a deeper layer.
So, Rivera made sure to set the record straight on Wednesday and note that the team was not trying to keep Haskins out of the building, they were just following orders from the medical staff.
Come Thursday, Haskins was once again absent from practice due to the illness. Once again, some questioned if something else was going on. Once again, Rivera cleared any confusion by explaining that the team wants Haskins back healthy, and is just following the advice of the medical staff. That’s all he knows because he is not in charge of the situation.
“There really is no confusion. The young man is ill, okay? Because he is feeling ill, we don’t want him to come into and spread whatever flu-like symptoms he has,” Rivera said. “So, he went home. He’s seeing the doctor and we’ll let the doctor determine what’s going on. And that’s the truth.”
“I’m not the doctor, guys. Okay, just so everybody understands that. I’m telling you what I’m being told from the trainer and what information I get from the doctor,” Rivera said. “There’s really not a lot to clarify right now. The young man is ill and we’re trying to take care of him so he gets better and we can have him back at practice, okay?”
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At this time, it’s unclear when Haskins will be back with the team. Rivera hopes it is sooner rather than later, as he wants his quarterback to be healthy and available to continue to learn and grow through practice reps.
Rivera wants to make it known that is all the situation is about: the health of Haskins. He, like everyone else, is awaiting more details. For now, he can only give updates that come from the medical staff. He is not the doctor.