It has not been a banner week for Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. His comments about the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the United States Capitol, which Del Rio referred to as a “dust-up,” did not go over well. Del Rio eventually had to apologize, both the NAACP and the Fritz Pollard Alliance called for his firing, and he was fined $100,000 by the team, proof of which was a statement released by head coach Ron Rivera. Del Rio’s comments, in which he referred to the insurrection as a “dust-up,” may be the “nail in the coffin” when it comes to the Commanders’ hopes for a new stadium.
In that statement, Rivera said, “Coach Del Rio did apologize for his statements on Wednesday and he understands the distinction between the events of that dark day and peaceful protests, which are a hallmark of our democracy.”
A nice thought, but history tells us otherwise. On the subject of Colin Kaepernick, Del Rio had this to say in 2016 as the then-Oakland Raiders’ head coach:
