Washington coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the local media Monday for their season-ending press conference. As you might expect, they talked about quarterbacks.
No, they didn’t discuss a specific quarterback because, you know, that would be an issue. But Rivera and Mayhew did make it clear to fans: Washington will do everything in its power to find an answer at the game’s most important position.
That includes perhaps a veteran and a rookie in 2022:
“At this point, no, nothing’s out of the question,” Rivera said.
If Rivera could somehow pull off the impossible and acquire Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, then, no, Washington would not be in the market for a rookie passer. However, if Washington signed a veteran passer such as Mitchell Trubisky, it could still choose a first-round quarterback, such as Matt Corral.
Mayhew agreed.
“I would just echo what coach said and tell you that we’ve started the process,” Mayhew said. “We’ve been talking about this for several months now and how we move forward. Every avenue uncover every stone. We look at every situation out there and try to find the right guy.”
For once, Washington’s entire organization appears to be on the same page. The head coach and the general manager will agree on Washington’s pick at quarterback in 2022. Unlike in 2019, when owner Dan Snyder forced Washington to select Dwayne Haskins in the first round when no one on the football side wanted him in the first round.
Or, like 2012, when Washington mortgaged the future in a trade up for Robert Griffin III, but head coach Mike Shanahan took Kirk Cousins in the fourth round.
And, if Washington drafts a passer in the first round, he will play.
“If we do that, we’re doing that to play him,” Rivera said.
I’m not doing it to have him wait, because again, it is about, like I said, to me, the third season is when you take another step and hopefully, we’ve done the things with the other positions that would warrant us, finding the guy to put in and get ready to roll whether it comes from one of those four avenues or not.
Rivera likes the current composition of the roster, especially on offense, and believes a rookie passer can thrive once Washington gets fully healthy on offense in 2022.
Rivera was also asked about another controversial option, Houston’s Deshaun Watson. Of course, Rivera couldn’t discuss Watson as he is under contract with another team.
“We can’t talk about players and other rosters just to be fair,” Rivera answered. “But we’re going to explore all avenues.”
Last offseason, Rivera made it clear he wanted to build up the rest of the roster before making a bold move for a quarterback. Entering year three of his regime, Rivera knows he must make that move this offseason.
If you doubted Washington’s urgency at quarterback before Tuesday, Rivera and Mayhew’s answers should’ve eased your concerns.