Ron Rivera was welcomed with open arms when he was hired as the new head coach of the then-Washington Redskins in 2020. After all, Rivera would be replacing former general manager/team president Bruce Allen as the top football decision-maker in the organization.
Former owner Daniel Snyder gave Rivera complete control of the roster, meaning he was essentially the coach and general manager. At times, fans didn’t care as long as Allen was gone. Things got off to a good start when Rivera used the No. 2 overall pick on Ohio State star — and DMV native — Chase Young. In 2020, Washington surprisingly won the NFC East — with a losing record — and Young was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That would be the high point of Rivera’s time in Washington. After multiple failed drafts, free-agent signings and non-winning seasons, Rivera was fired in January.
Rivera spent some time this offseason as an analyst at ESPN. This week, he was a guest on Adam Schefter’s podcast, where he discussed his former team selecting Jayden Daniels second overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Rivera said that’s the pick he would’ve made, too, if he were still in Washington.
Rivera discussed other things as well, such as liking Justin Herbert in 2020 when he selected Young. It’s no surprise Washington fans weren’t impressed with Rivera’s comments. We look at some of those reactions from X.