Rivera on Wednesday declined comment on what Del Rio said, telling reporters “everyone’s entitled to their opinion” and saying if the comments became an issue in the locker room “how I deal with it I’m not going to share with you guys because it’s going to be a private matter.”
Rivera reversed course on Friday following the first day of public hearings on the capitol insurrection. He condemned Del Rio’s comments, calling the insurrection attempt an act of domestic terrorism and saying it could not be compared with Black Lives Matter protests.
Rivera announced the team had fined Del Rio $100,000, which will be donated to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.
MORE: Commanders’ Jack Del Rio walks back Jan. 6 insurrection a ‘dust-up’ comments after backlash
Del Rio first commented on the Jan. 6 insurrection via Twitter on Monday, when he asked to know “the whole story” about Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 in response to the George Floyd killing. His initial tweet was in response to another tweet seeking to shed light on the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Reporters on Wednesday asked Del Rio if his players — many of whom are Black — would take issue with his comments equating the insurrection attempt to BLM protests. Del Rio doubled down on his initial comments, saying he was only asking a question and that he wasn’t worried about players having an issue with what he said.
Del Rio on Thursday issued a statement from his personal Twitter account walking back his initial comments. Though he apologized for his “negligent” comment referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection as a “dust-up,” he stood by the notion he was against violence in communities (seemingly still referring to BLM protests).
And then we have a ‘dust-up’ at the capital, nothing burned down. And we’re gonna make that a major deal. I just think it’s kinda two standards.
Del Rio’s comments and the team’s lack of response created outrage not only from outside observers, but also former Washington football players. That includes former running back Brian Mitchell, a Washington Ring of Fame member who played for the team from 1990-99.
“I don’t give a damn about Ron Rivera getting mad at somebody having a collision until he gets off his ass and addresses this damn idiot that he hired as a defensive coordinator,” Mitchell said on 106.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “This man has been pushing the needle and testing it over and over … and the leader, the coach has done absolutely nothing.”
