Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has found himself in some hot water for both his social media stance and recent public comments on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capital back in 2021.
It started with Del Rio sending a post out on Twitter in which he likened the insurrection to the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer back in May of 2020. As of publication of this article, the post was still up.
Del Rio was then asked about this in a presser during Washington’s OTAs on Wednesday. He attempted to explain himself, but added a quote that some see as completely out of line.
“I can look at images on the TV, people’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem. And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal?”
Jack Del Rio (June 8, 2022)
Del Rio then issued an apology for that statement in a post that was seemingly written by someone other than the defensive coordinator.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera recently spoke on the controversy, indicating that any conversations he has with his players and coaches will be kept private.
None of this has calmed down the storm during a point in history that pretty much everything someone says is put under a microscope. Fair or not.
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NAACP calls on Jack Del Rio to be fired or resign
NAACP President Derrick Johnson released a statement on Thursday urging a divorce between Del Rio and the Commanders.
“His comments could not have been more offensive and ignorant. The January 6th insurrection – an attempted coup – was far from a ‘dust-up.’
Downplaying the insurrection by comparing it to nationwide protests, which were in response to a public lynching, is twisted. You can’t coach a majority Black team while turning your back on the Black community. It’s time for you to pack up and step off the field.”
NAACP statement on Jack Del Rio situation
To be clear, a total of five people died during the insurrection two weeks before Joe Biden was sworn in as president to replace a one-term Donald Trump. Calling it a “dust-up” is questionable, at best.
As for coaching black athletes, Del Rio’s NFL coaching career dates back to 1997 with the New Orleans Saints. He served as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach from 2003-11 and the then-Oakland Raiders head man from 2015-17.
“Me personally, I don’t care about his opinion. As long as he shows up every day and he works hard, that’s what I want from my defensive coordinator.”
Commanders star Jonathan Allen on Jack Del Rio controversy, via NBC Sports Washington
Allen was one player to speak up. We’re not sure how other members of the Commanders’ organization feels about this controversy.
It’s also not known what action Washington’s brass might take as the organization continues to find itself involved in off-field issues on a near never-ending loop.
Del Rio, 59, has served as Washington’s defensive coordinator under Ron Rivera in each of the past two seasons. Following an 11-year playing career, he’s turned into a great coach around the NFL. Whether that’s enough for him to keep his job remains to be seen.