Rivera apologizes, Wentz not ‘overly concerned’ after coach’s comments spark firestorm

ASHBURN — Before Tuesday’s practice, Ron Rivera apologized. 

The Washington Commanders coach began his morning meeting with players to address the topic that had ignited a firestorm the day before: Singling out the quarterback play of Carson Wentz as a reason for the team’s struggles. 

Rivera told players he did a poor job of expressing himself and said he was sorry.

“I said some things that were misconstrued,” Rivera said later, recalling the meeting. “I didn’t present them properly and that’s on me. So I took accountability and I told the guys that I should know better.

“(Shoot,) I had a bad day.” 

Rivera said he and Wentz had a “nice conversation” and are “ready to roll” ahead of Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bears.  

A day earlier, the coach, asked about the difference between the other three NFC East teams — all with winning records — and his Commanders, had a one-word answer: Quarterback.

The remark sparked a wave of headlines and television segments.  

Rivera had said he had “no regrets” about trading for Wentz. But on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown,” former Washington quarterback Alex Smith ripped Rivera for “driving the bus” over the signal-caller. Other national pundits were just as critical. 

Wentz, though, indicated everything is fine between him and his coach.

“Coach addressed it, handled it,” Wentz said. “It’s nothing for me I’m overly concerned about. Coach is a very straightforward upfront guy. He addressed it in the team meeting, which I thought was really cool, and what he meant by it all. I feel very confident in that.”

Players in the locker room echoed similar sentiments. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said Rivera’s apology “said a lot, while receiver Terry McLaurin said the team had “Carson’s back.” The wideout added that Washington’s 1-4 start wasn’t all on the quarterback, saying they all have to examine ways to improve. 

Backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke, though, wasn’t surprised with how Rivera’s initial comment took off. The journeyman, who entered the league in 2015, has been around long enough to realize that “any little snippet” can get magnified. That’s especially true, it seems, when the conversation relates to quarterbacks — a position so crucial to a team’s success that it draws additional scrutiny. 

But Wentz, Heinicke said, can ignore the noise, noting the quarterback doesn’t scroll social media to “see a lot of that stuff.” Wentz said he found out about Monday’s controversy because a media relations staffer informed him of what was going on.

More broadly, the quarterback has perhaps gotten used to the extra attention. The 29-year-old started his career in Philadelphia — where Wentz went from being hailed as the franchise’s savior to being labeled a bad teammate before his eventual departure. After last season, Colts owner Jim Irsay criticized trading for Wentz as a “mistake” — one of several swipes from the billionaire. 

“He’s been through a lot, and he gets it,” Heinicke said. “We all pretty much assumed (Rivera’s comments) were taken the wrong way. But he did a good job of clearing it up this morning. Carson has broad shoulders. He understands the deal. He just wants to keep working hard.” 

So, the Commanders will move forward with Wentz, who is coming off a season-high 359 yards and two touchdowns but threw a critical interception in the final seconds of Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Titans. The seven-year veteran popped up on the injury report this week with a shoulder injury, but Wentz said he feels “pretty good” despite being listed as a limited participant in practice. 

Rivera said Wentz should be able to play in Chicago.

“It was something from the game,” Rivera said. “He came in (Monday) morning and so because he said it was a little sore, we had to put it on the list. But he took all of his reps today and he was fine. I don’t expect it to be a problem.”