The Washington Commanders are gearing up for what should be an exciting 2022 campaign. After struggling for much of the 2021 season, the Commanders went out and shored up their quarterback position by acquiring quarterback Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts. Wentz is a clear upgrade at quarterback for Washington, and head coach Ron Rivera should be able to guide his team to a much improved record in 2022.
However, with preseason action right around the corner, Ron Rivera clearly isn't happy with some of the things he has seen from his team early on in training camp. That was made quite clear when he fired defensive line coach Sam Mills just a few days before the Commanders preseason opener this weekend.
#Commanders have fired DL coach Sam Mills. Ron Rivera said he believed the DL room needed a change. Jeff Zgonina takes over.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 9, 2022
This is certainly an interesting move from Rivera, and it will be interesting to see if he provides more information later on about Mills' firing. Typically, coaching staffs are set prior to training camp to allow the team to build some continuity and consistency heading into the season. Yet Rivera is already firing coaches before preseason play has even started, so Mills must have really messed something up to get fired this soon. Rarely do coaches get fired before the season has even started.
The Commanders' defensive line is certainly an important unit for Washington heading into the 2022 season. Chase Young and Montez Sweat have proven to be an effective pass rushing duo, despite both struggling in 2021, and Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are both dominant interior presences, with Allen earning a Pro Bowl berth last season.
Rivera clearly didn't feel Mills was the right, and it's better that he got his firing out of the way now. But the Commanders defensive line is going to have to build up some consistency before the season starts, or they could be in trouble.
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