Snyder's Involvement with Haskins a Bad Sign?

"Dan told me not to go." That quote. That one right there, set off a soap opera of Redskins type proportions on Sunday afternoon.

It was from Dwayne Haskins and just like that, a frustrating loss turned into another symbol of weirdness in my eyes and dysfunction in others.

Dan, of course, is Dan Snyder - the Redskins owner. When reporters circled back to that after Haskins casually dropped the nugget, he confirmed.

Immediately, many wondered why and of course that triggered other response and debate.

Many seem to be confused somehow. Haskins did nothing wrong. It’s weird for an owner to weigh in on medical stuff during a game. You’re allowed to pretend that it’s all functioning great for the 3-12 team. https://t.co/9hiF97ViI2
— Danny Rouhier (@funnydanny) December 23, 2019

So what we have here is an owner with a bad track record of coddling superstar players and empowering them, racing out of his luxury box after spending time with the last quarterback he heavily invested in, one that is becoming his quasi general manager.

Nothing to see here or something very legitimate to worry about.

Haskins for his part was appreciative of Snyder's concern: "Yeah he did come down from the box. He was concerned. That meant a lot to me."

Because of those words by Haskins, it softens the concerns that I have. You want your quarterback to feel appreciated and cared for.

It's a cold harsh business, but human beings are still just that.

The problem is this: As my 106.7 The FAN colleague, Danny Rouhier, pointed out - was Snyder there for Quinton Dunbar? Jimmy Moreland? Step right up. Whatever your name is.

That's the problem. Because of Snyder's history, including one that reportedly had him largely as the person behind the selection of Haskins, despite football staff objections, it seems we're going down this road again.

The one of empowerment. The one where the quarterback gets extra care and concern than the rest of the roster does.

To some degree - that's professional sports and the NFL. Right? Quarterbacks get paid more, praised more and criticized harsher because ....they're the quarterback. It's that simple.

Is Dan Snyder doing anything different than what we're all essentially guilty of?

Nope. The problem is his track-record and that Haskins let this little morsel slip.

In all likelihood, nobody would have noticed, asked or criticized.

I would say this: Snyder can do whatever he wants. He's the owner. He should show concern for Haskins, but if you're not going to be involved in checking on every injured player, you probably shouldn't race out of your castle to the x-ray room.

Especially with the Robert Griffin III history that this owner, this organization and this area has.

It's essentially a version of being tone-deaf.

One thing I would point out: As I did on Sunday night on my "Locked on Redskins" podcast and on 106.7 The FAN's "Washington Game Day Uncensored" - would Snyder have been so willing to listen to the doctor's recommendation if the game meant anything?

What if a playoff spot was on the line?

Would they have over-ruled Dr. West at that point? Would the pressure have caused her to have a different evaluation?

This is what we don't know but it's all fair to ask and wonder.

Merry Christmas Redskins fans!

Chris Russell is the Publisher of Maven & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.