Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio issued an apology Wednesday evening for his comments earlier in the same day referring to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as a “dustup.”
Del Rio was asked how his players may react to his recent tweet comparing the protests following the death of George Floyd to the riot at Capitol. The coach responded he was asking a “simple question” before elaborating with a stirring take.
“I can look at images on TV, people’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem,” Del Rio said, per ESPN’s John Keim. “And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal. it’s two standards. Let’s have a discussion.”
Del Rio’s comments after Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was asked about his defensive coordinator’s controversial tweet. Rivera said he would not publicly address matters he speaks with his staff and players, especially not for off-field issues. However, he added “everybody’s entitled to their opinion, though.”
Rivera also said if anything such a thing became a distraction or situation within the team then he’ll address it. Del Rio’s comments circulated throughout the news cycle for much of Wednesday. That may have prompted Del Rio to backpedal a bit on his comments.
Jack Del Rio issues apology
Later in the day, Del Rio issued a public apology, via Twitter:
Since being hired as Washington’s defensive coordinator in 2020, Del Rio has caused stirs via Twitter. Some matters drew laughs, like telling a user to “bite deez” while he defended Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne’s holdout.
However, he has also drawn the ire of some fans for his political takes. In June 2020, he enlightened many about his political views when he expressed support of President Donald Trump.
