Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera, in the wake of his cancer diagnosis, announced Saturday that should he be forced to step away from the team due to complications from squamous cell carcinoma, that veteran head coach Jack Del Rio would step in and run the team in his absence.
“He's been through this before when he was with [John] Fox in Denver,” Rivera said via a statement tweeted by ESPN's Adam Schefter. “So, we’ve got a guy who’s been a head coach in this situation before. That’s what the plan is.”
Rivera is referencing Del Rio's brief stint as the Broncos' head coach in 2013 when he slotted up into interim head coaching duties while Fox was away due to medical reasons. Having combined for a 93-94 record as a head coach in the NFL during his time with the Raiders and Jaguars, Del Rio has been at the helm for 12 seasons and would have ample experience should Rivera need to take a break from the club.
Both Rivera and Del Rio are new to their surroundings with Washington, looking to turn around an organization that finished 3-13 last season and allowed an average of 27.2 points per game. The duo have combined for four playoff wins in their career, looking to get Washington back to that stage for the first time since 2015 and their first victory since 2005.
Washington is expected to open its regular season with Rivera coaching and on the sidelines Sept. 13 when they travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
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