Ron Rivera: 'Bulls--t' to Say I Took Washington Football Team Job for the Money

Head coach Ron Rivera is not a fan of any narrative that suggests he only took the position with the Washington Football Team for money.

During an interview with Ben Standig of The Athletic, Rivera had an answer to anyone with that notion:

"I got a letter from somebody that doesn't know me that said, 'You took this (job) for the money.' I would say bulls--t. You don't know me. How can you write that and say that (Rivera said the letter was from someone 'pissed off' about the team name change)? I get it. People have an opinion. But don't come at me if you don't know me because if I really wanted the money, you don't think I'd have pitted the Giants and Cleveland and Washington and Dallas against each other? No, I was enthusiastic about this job from the beginning. And this is where I am. This is what I think everybody (needs) to understand. I didn't come here for the money. Okay, I made a lot of money in Carolina. I could have sat the year out, and collected a very good paycheck, played a lot of golf and got my handicap down."

Rivera also said: "I just look at this, and I think to myself, this is an opportunity, and that not too many things are gonna dampen my spirit about this. I know it's going to be hard. Believe me. This is not all roses. And it hasn't been all roses. There's been a lot of thorns, but that's all part of it. Because to get to the roses when you go on up the stem, you've got to get past the thorns."

To say there have been some thorns in the early portion of his tenure would be an understatement.

In addition to the franchise announcing it will be the Washington Football Team for this season as it evaluates a new long-term nickname, Jason Reid of ESPN's The Undefeated reported there were Rooney Rule questions about the hiring of executive vice president and chief marketing officer Terry Bateman and senior vice president of media Julie Donaldson.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance assists the NFL in enforcing the rule and requested that the league investigate the hires.

Worse yet, Will Hobson and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post reported 15 women who are former employees of the team said they were sexually harassed between 2006 and 2019 by other employees.

Rivera acknowledged that he believed the organization needed a leader, which is one of the reasons he took the position.

"Because this is where I want to be, I said this in my first press conference," he said. "I'll be honest with you. Maybe it's my own ego, OK. But I really felt that this is an organization that needed somebody to come in and lead, and I felt like I could do that. I could come in and lead this organization. And that's why I'm here because I really do believe that." 

Rivera was the Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015 with the Carolina Panthers and finished with a 76-63-1 record in nine years with the team. He led the Panthers to the playoffs four times, including when they reached the Super Bowl in the 2015 campaign.

He has some young talent in Washington, including defensive end Chase Young and wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and will look to lead the franchise to its first playoff appearance since the 2015 season.