Ron Rivera, speaking with John Keim, said he probably shouldn’t have put as much pressure on quarterback Sam Howell in 2023.
Howell got his first and only snaps of the 2022 season when Taylor Heinicke felt that Howell should start and play the final game of the season because the Commanders had been eliminated from the playoffs the previous week.
After Howell played well in the 2022 season finale against Dallas, Rivera then named Howell the QB1.
“I think that was probably one of the mistakes I made this year. The biggest one I think I made was I put way too much on him, and he didn’t deserve to have that put on him. He’s a good, young quarterback who has some talent and some ability. I think that’s something I should have backed off.”
Rivera told Keim he should have stated that Howell “was going to be the first guy to get the opportunity to be Q1, not that he was QB1.” Rivera continued that this put more pressure on Howell and he should have made it clear Howell had not been anointed the starter.
Rivera then emphasized to Keim that he felt Howell handled it tremendously well but that he should not have had to handle as much and that it was all on Rivera.
The recently fired Commanders head coach also pointed out he felt several in the Washington media were looking for the “I gotcha moments” to catch Rivera in contradictions or misstatements. He voiced in frustration that there were even times he would go back and read the transcripts to see what he had exactly said to the local media.
He recalled times he knew he could have said some things differently and admitted to Keim that he certainly realizes he is not infallible.
There is much more… here is the entire discussion between Rivera and Keim.
