Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has died at the age of 24, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed on Saturday.
Per The Guardian, the young quarterback died after he was hit by a car early on Saturday in Boca Raton in southern Palm Beach, Florida, where his team is training.
Haskins had signed a one-year deal to remain with the Steelers just three weeks before the tragedy. He would have turned 25 less than a month from now - on May 3.
Tomlin said in a statement posted to the Steelers' Twitter account: "I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins. He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community.
"Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time."
The young athlete had previously been a quarterback for the Washington Commanders.
Before making his debut in the NFL, Haskins played for Ohio State University, where he was a star player and a finalist for the coveted Heisman Trophy. He joined the NFL in 2019, when Washington took him in the first round of the draft.
In a statement, Commanders co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder spoke out about the sudden passing, opening up about their devastation upon hearing the news.
They said: "We are devastated to hear the news of the tragic passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Our hearts and prayers are with the members of Dwayne's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera referred to Haskins as a "talented young man who had a long life ahead of him."
"I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed," Rivera said in a statement. "Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time."
