Washington head coach Ron Rivera was understandably in a good mood at Tuesday’s press conference, marking the beginning of the 2023 season training camp.
Rivera looked and sounded free. He enjoys being able to talk about football more often.
How does Rivera feel going into training camp about his quarterbacks?
“I think we feel very comfortable going in, I really do. I think we all have liked what we’ve done. There are some positions that guys have to grow and mature in, most notably the quarterback position. You know with how Sam [Howell] has worked and how Jacoby [Brissett] has worked, I think we feel very comfortable with those guys. We like who they are. We like their development growth and we’ll be watching that one obviously very closely.”
Rivera was asked directly what is his major, overarching question for this team this season. Coach Ron didn’t even hesitate on that one. Rivera is entering his fourth season in Washington, and in each season, he has had to open with a different starting quarterback.
“I think more than anything else, it will start with the quarterback position. That’s about as big a question as it gets. Has Sam [Howell] grown and developed enough to help us take the next step? Is Jacoby [Brissett] ready to go and compete, and if he gets that chance, will he take us up to the next level? It’s a big broad question, but it does start with that position which is the biggest thing.”
After a few questions regarding offense, offensive coaches, it, of course, came full circle back to a question about his quarterback, Sam Howell So, Rivera was asked what is it he needs to see from Sam Howell.
“More than anything else is consistent play and growth. One of the things I really appreciated, and I go back to the Dallas game was how we played, how we self-corrected. How he handled things, how he changed things on his own and some of his own decision making. Those are things you want to see that tells you he is growing and he’s getting it. So, when you watch him in practice, watch him closely, how is he handling those type of deals. There’s a lot of things that we will focus on and pay attention to. And working with [Director of Pro Personnel] Eric [Stokes], [Quarterbacks Coach] Tavita [Pritchard] and [Senior Offensive Advisor/Game Management] [Ken] Zampese. We have eyes on him and were going through and kind of nitpicking almost to make sure he’s doing those things.”
