Ron Rivera mum on how long Landon Collins will play linebacker

The Washington Football Team has moved safety Landon Collins to linebacker. The team has a need at linebacker with the season-ending pectoral injury to Jon Bostic. Collins’ struggles at safety this season has also played a factor. 

Yet the veteran explained there was no clarity on how long the move will last. On Friday, Washington’s head coach Ron Rivera was asked the question of how long Collins will remain at linebacker?

“We’ll see” Rivera said per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

Rivera continued to stress he believes linebacker is the best fit for Collins. Collins said on Thursday he doesn’t like playing linebacker, but will do so as the team needs.

Collins has maintained he is a safety — the position he played in college at the University of Alabama and was drafted into the NFL as.

“Do I like playing linebacker? No. Not at all,” Collins said per Sam Fortier of The Washington Post. “I don’t like hitting big linemen, getting big linemen off me. I’m undersized for being a linebacker. I don’t want to play down there, but if need to, yeah. I’m good at it.”

Collins signed a six-year, $84 million deal with Washington in 2019 after four seasons with the New York Giants. He has struggled through the first season in Washington. A torn Achilles ended his second year in 2020 after seven games.

He rehabbed and worked himself back in time for this season. But, heis struggles in the secondary have continued. Moving to linebacker may be out of necessity due to injuries, but it also feels like a last-ditch effort to find where he belongs within the Washington defense.