As a winless start and quarterback uncertainty carries on in Washington D.C., a Wednesday walk-through practice might have further muddled the signal-caller situation for the Redskins.
After suffering a broken leg that ended his 2018 campaign, Colt McCoy returned to practice on Wednesday, listed as a full participant on the team's projected injury report.
However, current starter Case Keenum, who leads the NFC in passing yards, was listed as not practicing do to a foot injury.
And, of course, rookie Dwayne Haskins' shadow is cast over the position as fans and some pundits clamor for the 2019 NFL Draft No. 15 selection to get his chance.
The movement to start Haskins is growing and will likely amp up in the Week 4 lead-up as Washington takes on the New York Giants and rookie Daniel Jones, who was taken at No. 6 in the draft. On Wednesday, Gruden was asked just when he'll pull the trigger with Haskins.
"That's a good question," Gruden said. "[Haskins and Jones] were totally different players coming out. Both of them are very talented, Dwayne played one year at Ohio State. I think from a mental standpoint, No. 1, I think it's good for him to sit back and learn how to prepare, learn how to get ready for a game and a game plan, see all these route concepts and the different things we are doing here. He's not far away, I wouldn't say. If I had to put him in the game, I'm sure he could play pretty well.
"It's just a matter of right now, I think we have done some decent things on offense as far as throwing the ball. We had the five turnovers last week, which was not good, but I think after only three games with Case (Keenum) being in the offense only three games with a lot of new people, I think it's important for him to continue to get another chance and see how he can do moving forward. That's not to say it is permanent, but Dwayne is still coming along. He's young and I think it's important for him to sit back and see how to prepare as a pro. He'll get his time, he'll get his chance. Just not yet."
McCoy took over last season for Alex Smith following Smith's horrendous leg injury. McCoy has been the Redskins backup since 2014, so he has the best grasp of Gruden's system.
Keenam, meanwhile, is playing on a team that's defense was supposed to be the strength, but it's tied for 30th in the NFL in scoring defense. The offensive line has given up six sacks and is missing its best player (holdout Trent Williams) and the running game is 30th in the NFL. As for Keenam, he's very quietly thrown for an NFC-high 933 yards (fourth in the NFL), seven touchdowns (tied for fourth in the NFL) and a 100.0 passer rating.
There's the added speculation that Gruden's seat is getting hot and while he wants to do what's best to win now, seeing a glimpse of a future franchise quarterback will satisfy the fan base more so than staying competitive during a season that's quickly getting lost.
With the Giants pulling the trigger on the Danny Dimes era, it's no doubt fueled the fire of the Redskins going full Haskins ahead. It should be noted, however, that regardless of how you view preseason, Jones was phenomenal (29-for-34 for 416 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions) in a quartet of exhibitions. Haskins was hardly so, completing 32-of-58 passes for 409 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
It remains to be seen how serious Keenam's foot injury is and how quickly McCoy can be ready for game action. But Wednesday seems to have muddled things going forward for Gruden and the Redskins.
It seems like it's another sign that Haskins' starting debut is coming closer.
"[Jones] performed well in the preseason, so they felt like he was ready," Gruden said. "So yeah, I think with him and the kid at Arizona (Kyler Murray), those guys were ready to go, and I think Dwayne is going to be ready here pretty soon."
