Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera presented the team with its first distraction for the 2023-24 season. Rivera inadvertently opened Pandora’s box when he admitted some players became “concerned” by offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Eric Bieniemy’s intense coaching style.
Rivera’s comments forced Bieniemy to defend himself after Tuesday’s practice. Several former Kansas City Chiefs players also chimed their support for Bieniemy.
On Wednesday, following the media storm, Ron Rivera clarified his comments. He also relayed that he spoke with Bieniemy in the aftermath.
“I put my foot in my mouth,” Rivera told Bieniemy, per Sam Fortier of The Washington Post. “What I said wasn’t as clear as it needed to be. Everybody, in my opinion, making a little bit more than needs to be made of this. The results are what you look for on the field.”
Rivera’s intentions may not have been to create a firestorm and distraction, but his words did indeed. On Tuesday, he also compared Bieniemy’s approach to his own and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, noting the two adjusted as head coaches while pointing out Bieniemy hasn’t been a head coach.
Rivera clarified that part of his comments as well.
“I was just trying to convey we all have our own way of doing things,” Rivera said, per ESPN’s John Keim. “Neither one is better than the other. I had Buddy Ryan (as a player) riding me for two years and [Mike] Ditka riding me for nine years. Their approach is different than mine.”
Bieniemy spent five seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs under head coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs sported a top-six offense and reached the AFC Championship Game in each of those five seasons. Kansas City also won two Super Bowls. However, Bieniemy left this offseason for an opportunity to call plays and boost his resume in hopes of one day becoming an NFL head coach.
Bieniemy’s inability to land a head coach position has been heavily debated by many, including one of his former running backs LeSean McCoy.
Bieniemy’s intensity may make some players uncomfortable. But, as Rivera stated, the on-field results will ultimately show whether the approach is well-received or wears thin inside the Commanders’ locker room.
