Days after completing the 2022 NFL draft, Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was on the “Rich Eisen Show” Wednesday and spoke about his team’s quarterback situation for 2022.
Rivera first spoke of starting quarterback Carson Wentz and how grateful he was to have him in Washington. While Eisen brought up how two teams gave up on Wentz, costing both teams a lot in terms of either cash or draft compensation, Rivera was not hesitant to add Wentz.
One thing that impressed Rivera was his former teammates in Indianapolis went on record to defend Wentz as a great leader and teammate. Rivera noted how it was three high-profile players in wide receiver TY Hilton, running back Jonathan Taylor and linebacker Darius Leonard who came to Wentz’s defense.
“All those guys came out and said, ‘this guy was a good teammate, this was a guy that pulled us together, this was a guy that helped us get where we are, or headed toward,’” Rivera said. “You feel positive about that, you really do, and it’s an exciting thing to hear his teammates spoke of him in that fashion.”
After the pair finished discussing Wentz’s arrival in Washington, Eisen asked Rivera how the quarterback room would go in 2022 and would there be a competition.
“No, it’s Wentz, and then it’s Taylor (Heinicke), and you know then obviously like I said, there’s no pressure on the young guy to develop or grow right away or immediately, although I know he will try, and he will work hard because that’s who Sam Howell is but again, we feel very positive, very comfortable in who Carson is for us going forward,” Rivera answered.
We know how things go in Washington. If Wentz gets off to a slow start, fans will want Howell, but they need to be realistic. Wentz should start for Washington unless the team is out of playoff contention and struggling to find the end zone. If that happens, Washington has nothing to lose. However, the Commanders have high hopes for 2022, and those hopes rest on the broad shoulders of Wentz.