Commander Country

Commanders Coach Ron Rivera 'Talks Too Much', Says Former RB

Former Washington running back Brian Mitchell voiced a small criticism of Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in a radio interview.

Jeremy Brener

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It's six months until the start of football season, but Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has already named his starting quarterback ... for now.

Rivera has been vocal about the fact that second-year pro Sam Howell is in the lead to be the team's Week 1 starting quarterback. But is it a smart strategy to show the whole NFL community that card so early on in the offseason before even free agency has begun?

Former NFL running back Brian Mitchell, who played for Washington throughout the 1990s and won a ring in Super Bowl XXVI, criticized Rivera's bluntness on the subject in a radio interview earlier this week.

“Why do we have to say who the starter is today?," Mitchell asked on 106.7 The Fan. “I made the comment last year, and I am going to make it again. Sometimes, Coach just talks too much. If he says less, then he doesn’t have all of these questions coming at him.”

Rivera has always been very transparent in his process. As the leader of a team for over a decade, Rivera has more experience than most within the 32-member head coach fraternity. But Mitchell does bring up a good point. No other team with quarterback drama is making that much of a commitment to someone who's never been in the hot seat as QB1 before.

Rivera's strategy could be beneficial towards Howell and give him confidence as he treks through the offseason, but a lot can change between now and September.

The Commanders could sign a veteran that can win the starting job, draft another rookie, trade for someone like Lamar Jackson, or stick with Howell. 

Either way, words are just words. The actions will speak louder when Rivera is ultimately ready to make a decision.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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