The Washington Football Team has a new captain, and it's a young player who has made a huge impact in his first NFL season. According to Sam Fortier of The Washington Post, Washington has named rookie pass-rusher Chase Young a captain for its Week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers after the team revoked quarterback Dwayne Haskins' captaincy earlier this week. The team then confirmed the report by posting a picture of Young's jersey in the locker room with the decorated "C."
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has made an immediate impact on Washington's defensive line and defensive unit as a whole. In 13 games, he has recorded 38 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed, 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and a fumble recovery which he returned for a touchdown. He was even selected to the Pro Bowl, joining Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson as the only rookies to be honored in said fashion. It appears Young is taking the "C" away from Haskins, who had his stripped after a dramatic weekend.
After Washington's Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Haskins was seen at an exotic club not wearing a mask, which was a clear violation of COVID-19 protocols. Haskins apologized to his teammates for his mistake, and was both fined and stripped of his title as captain. That's according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who said Wednesday that while Haskins was initially voted a captain by teammates in training camp, Washington has removed that honor as "part of the internal punishment" for this week's violations. Haskins' fine amounts to $40,000, per Rapoport, the largest known financial punishment for a COVID-19 violation.
