Adam Schefter Apologizes for 'Insensitive' Dwayne Haskins Tweet
Over the weekend ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter caused uproar with a tweet announcing the death of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Many saw the wording of the tweet as completely inappropriate given the moment. Schefter was silent on social media much of the weekend after that. On Monday he resurfaced on his podcast to apologize.
The initial tweet (which has since been deleted) from Schefter read as follows:
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 Cedrick Saunders. Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3.
There was zero reason to include the part about Haskins "struggling to catch on" with Washington and Pittsburgh. As mentioned, that tweet was quickly deleted and replaced with this one:
Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before becoming Washington’s first-round pick and playing in Pittsburgh, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida, per his agent Cedric Saunders. Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2022
On Monday, Schefter apologized for the wording of the initial tweet on his podcast, while also paying tribute to Haskins:
An apology and a tribute to Dwayne Haskins. pic.twitter.com/QxjShC4ZYu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2022
That is a really nice tribute, but it feels like that kind of thing should always be someone's first instinct in these cases, not the follow up.