Commanders coach Ron Rivera mum on potential sale, new owners
WASHINGTON - We’re hearing from head coach Ron Rivera for the first time since news broke of a potential buyer for the Washington Commanders.
A group led by Josh Harris has agreed to financial terms with the Snyders to buy the team for $6.05 billion, according to sources.
Rivera and General Manager Martin Mayhew held a pre-NFL Draft press conference Thursday and were asked about the developments with ownership. The pair didn’t answer many questions.
Rivera did explicitly say they haven’t spoken with Josh Harris regarding the draft.
Josh Harris-led group nears deal to buy Washington Commanders: report
After years of controversy swirling around the Washington Commanders and Dan Snyder, a new owner could soon be taking over D.C.'s football franchise.
As for whether they’ve spoken with Dan or Tanya Snyder before this draft:
"Again, we’re leaving that discussion about ownership and all that to the experts, so we’ll skip that," Rivera said.
As for how the last few months have played out from Rivera and Mayhew’s perspective, they said they put an offseason plan together they presented, but indications are the so-called upper-personnel management has taken the lead on this offseason and pre-draft process.
Both indicated they were happy with the signings they’ve made this offseason and the team building they’ve done around quarterback Sam Howell and his contract.
"As far as what’s going on with the sale, that’s not a question for us," Rivera said. "You know, how do we react to it? Well, until it’s done, there’s really not much to say. So, we’re going to stick to what we’ve done in terms of our preparation. We’re going to stick to what we talked about in February as a group,"
NFL reviewing Commanders sale agreement: AP source
The NFL is now reviewing the sale agreement of the Washington Commanders, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
FOX 5 asked General Manager Martin Mayhew if there was any extra pressure or stress for this draft process given the uncertainty surrounding ownership.
"It’s business as usual," Mayhew said. "Fortunately, we’ve been very busy the last couple weeks. There’s been a lot of noise out there, but we’re totally focused on this draft and, again, we’re really excited about where we are as a football team and more excited about adding more players to our team."
Rivera said the upper management will have full autonomy to make decisions on draft night, something Rivera says has always been the case during his tenure.
The NFL Draft begins next Thursday. The Commanders have the No. 16 pick in the first round.