Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio found himself in some hot water on Wednesday after some comments he made while addressing the media in response to a particular tweet of his. In his comments, Del Rio controversially described the Jan. 6, 2021, Washington D.C. Capitol insurrection as being nothing more than a ‘dust-up,' while insinuating that the protests which occurred throughout the summer were a bigger deal.

After facing significant backlash from football fans, Del Rio has walked back his comments, issuing an apology in hopes of clearing the air, though still maintaining some of his original sentiment. Via his Twitter account, Del Rio released a statement over his controversial comments.

https://twitter.com/coachdelrio/status/1534644933457547269

 

Del Rio apologized for downplaying the Capitol insurrection as a mere “dust-up,” admitting his comments were both “irresponsible” and “negligent.” Despite that, the Commanders coach is sticking to his guns about condemning the “violence which occurred in communities across the country.”

The Commanders' defensive coordinator went on to say that he “fully supported all peaceful protests in America.”

The backlash faced by Del Rio initially stemmed from a Tweet he posted on June 6. When asked about his comments, Del Rio then referred to the insurrection as a dust-up, before downplaying the events which took place on January 6, 2021.

https://twitter.com/coachdelrio/status/1534002744922718208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1534002744922718208%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fnfl%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F34058884%2Fwashington-commanders-dc-jack-del-rio-defends-tweets-jan-6-hearings-refers-capitol-insurrection-dust-up

Clearly, Del Rio's sentiments didn't sit well with his audience, prompting him to walk back his comments and clear the air. The last thing the Commanders need is a major distraction heading into minicamp, so Del Rio will certainly hope this controversy fades away sooner rather than later.