Patriots vs. Redskins 2019 Preview: Keenum Returns But Gruden Likely To Go With Haskins

The Washington Redskins are under the radar and one of the big questions heading into Sunday is who will start at quarterback. Case Keenum has been having an awful start this NFL season, blamed in part to his foot injury.

However, the 31-year-old quarterback is aware that playing hurt is not an excuse. Returning to practice recently, the journeyman quarterback could start if the Redskins reconsider him when they face the New England Patriots. Seeing how Washington has yet to win this season, seeing Keenum starting once more will garner mixed reactions.

Should Redskins head coach Jay Gruden opt to have Keenum, it appears the veteran quarterback is ready to play through pain. Keenum said via Redskins.com that he is ready to play even if he is not at 100-percent.

“I gotta make those throws whether I’m hurting or not,” Keenum said. “Everybody plays hurt, and this league and my team counts on me to make those throws and those are game-changing throws that you want back.”

Chase Roullier taking part in drills. Missed Week 4 in New York.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 2, 2019

The good news for Gruden is that he approaches the Patriots game with options. He could still choose Dwyane Haskins to start for Washington or even Colt McCoy. As mentioned in a previous post, the 33-year-old McCoy returned to practice as well recently after suffering a broken right fibula in December.

The only problem for McCoy is that he has undergone three surgeries. He complained about pain in his leg in the preseason, meaning he may also not be at 100-percent by Sunday. Depending on how things go in Redskins practice, the logical choice would be Haskins. It does come with some color.

Haskins took over from an ineffective Keenum in Week 4 for Washington. He went 9-of-17 for 107 yards and had three interceptions. It clearly shows that the former Ohio star looked pretty unready for the NFL.

Aside from that, reports singling out how Gruden did not want to draft Haskins have surfaced. Either way, Gruden needs to make a decision. His future in Washington is not looking very bright, meaning the 52-year-old coach needs to work with personnel ready to suit up.