Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera would just like to talk football. He’s been an NFL lifer and is all about the gridiron.
Unfortunately, his role with the Commanders now includes multiple press releases focusing on everything outside of football itself.
The Congressional Committee on Oversight and Reform held a public hearing from D.C. on Wednesday with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appearing under oath.
Said hearing was to focus on allegations of widespread workplace misconduct on the part of owner Daniel Snyder and the organization. This hearing came on the heels of allegations against Mr. Snyder himself claiming sexual assault from well over a decade ago.
For his part, Ron Rivera took to social media Wednesday evening to push back against the belief that things have not changed within the Commanders’ organization.
Related: Daniel Snyder subpoenaed, accused of blocking information during federal investigation
Ron Rivera releases statement after congressional hearings
“With all due respect to the proceedings, I want to clarify a few things. When Dan & Tanya Snyder were in the process of hiring me they asked me to do two things. WIN. And help us change our culture. So to be clear, on January 2, 2020, the day I was hired, we started putting into place tangible protocols in our efforts to correct any inappropriate workplace issues and improve our workplace environment.”
Ron Rivera on Twitter (June 22, 2022)
The longtime NFL head coach went on to indicate that changes have taken place behind the scenes since his hiring, primarily focusing on the addition of Jason Wright as the Commanders’ president.
Interestingly enough, Rivera also seemed to guard himself from any further criticism that might be levied in the head coach’s direction.
“These investigations into inappropriate workplace issues pre-dates my employment. I can not change the past, but I would hope that our fans, the NFL and Congress can see that we are doing everything in our power to never repeat those workplace issues. And know that our employees are respected, valued and can be heard.”
Ron Rivera statement following congressional hearings
Rivera, 60, is a highly respected figure around the NFL. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1984-1992 and has pretty much been in the league as an assistant or head coach for the past quarter-century.
Whether it’s a coincidence or something else, Rivera has now been indirectly involved in two major scandals relating to his employers. Back in 2018 then-Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson was forced to sell the team after allegations of inappropriate workplace misconduct targeted the long-time owner.