ASHBURN, Va. — Ron Rivera said Wednesday he spoke to Eric Bieniemy about his comments that some Washington Commanders players expressed concern over the new offensive coordinator’s coaching style, apologizing for the remarks that put him in hot water around the NFL.
Rivera attempted to clarify what he said about players coming to him to ask about Bieniemy’s vocal approach on the practice field.
“I basically told him I put my foot in my mouth,” Rivera said. “I think what I said wasn’t as clear as it needed to be. And I think the understanding of it is just the fact that I think everybody is making, in my opinion, a little more than needs to be made of this.”
Rivera, who hired Bieniemy fresh off the longtime assistant winning a second Super Bowl with Kansas City, said it was his intent to explain that coaches have different ways of doing things. He did that by contrasting Bieniemy with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who like Rivera has been a head coach in the pros before.
Bieniemy has not been hired for a head job in the NFL, despite interviewing with nearly half the league.
Players who worked under Bieniemy with the Chiefs came to his defense, including now-Miami receiver Tyreek Hill, who said on social media, “There is no other coach that has your back” like Bieniemy.
BROWNS: Deshaun Watson’s debut with the Cleveland Browns last summer was hyped and largely horrid.
This year’s lacks any hysteria.
Watson, who was on the field for just eight plays in the 2022 preseason, will start Friday night against the Washington Commanders, giving him another chance to knock off some of the rust he developed during his lengthy NFL suspension.
A year ago, Watson, fresh off signing a controversial $230 million contract with Cleveland, hadn’t played in 19 months and was only days from being punished by the league for violating its personal conduct policy when the Browns played at Jacksonville.
More than two dozen women accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions while he played for Houston, and the buildup to his first game with Cleveland was extraordinary for the preseason.
Before taking the field against the Jaguars, Watson offered his first public apology “to all the women I have impacted” and then played some forgettable football.
Roundly booed throughout his three series, Watson competed just 1 of 5 passes for 7 yards and didn’t pick up a first down. He was also targeted by fans, who jeered him with vulgar chants.
On Wednesday, Watson said he barely remembers that warm night in Florida. A lot has happened since.
“It’s like a blur, to be honest,” he said.
DOLPHINS: Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle left a joint practice against the Atlanta Falcons because of an apparent injury.
Waddle made a catch during drills and went down grabbing at the right side of his body. The Dolphins’ third-year receiver walked off the practice field under his own power after being down for about five minutes.
Waddle had 75 receptions and 1,356 yards receiving last season – his second straight season surpassing 1,000 yards.
CARDINALS: Running back Marlon Mack is out for the season after suffering a left Achilles tendon injury during Tuesday’s practice.
Cardinals Coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed the extent of the injury on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Mack was signed earlier this week in the hopes the veteran could add some depth in the backfield behind starter James Conner. Mack ran for a career-high 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, but his career has been derailed since that point because of injuries.
BILLS: Three months since construction began on their new stadium, the Buffalo Bills are already facing a potential cash crunch with the latest projections having the team on the hook for as much as $300 million in cost overruns, four people with direct knowledge or who were briefed on the financial details told The Associated Press this week.
What was initially estimated to cost $1.4 billion in March 2022, and increased to $1.54 billion months later, is now projected to have jumped to $1.65 billion and approaching $1.7 billion, the people told the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team has not disclosed those figures.
FORMER RAIDERS player Henry Ruggs was sentenced to at least three years in a Nevada prison for killing a woman in a fiery crash while driving his sports car drunk at speeds up to 156 mph on a city street in Las Vegas nearly two years ago.
Ruggs, now 24, was cut by the Raiders while he was still hospitalized following the predawn crash on Nov. 2, 2021. The collision killed Tina Tintor and her dog, Max, and injured Ruggs’ passenger, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, his fiancee and mother of their daughter.
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