Before the Washington Commanders started their three-day mandatory minicamp, head coach Ron Rivera addressed the controversial comments of defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Rivera fined Del Rio $100,000 after he referred to the Capitol insurrection as a “dustup” in comparison to the social injustice protests following the death of George Floyd.
“This is not [about] the fact that he exercised his right to free speech,” Rivera said per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. “This is about him impacting the football team.”
Rivera spoke with Del Rio on Friday before assessing the fine. The two coaches spoke again ahead of the minicamp.
“This is about the impact that was made on our football team, the distraction it has become,” Rivera added. “It’s a very serious question and topic, but at the end of the day, it did impact us, and that’s why I did what I did.”
Meanwhile, Rivera stressed that with the rights to free speech and other matters, including gun control, there comes a “tremendous responsibility.” But he later asked the media to “stick to football.”
The Commanders organization has been a lightning rod to off-field controversy in recent years. An investigation into sexual harassment claims within the organization has included allegations against owner Daniel Snyder. There’s also the congressional probe for alleged financial improprieties by the organization.
Since becoming Washington’s defensive coordinator in 2020, Del Rio has made a number of controversial comments on Twitter. It was a tweet that sparked the latest situation. Del Rio deleted his Twitter account over the weekend.
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