Ron Rivera: 'All Avenues' Available as Washington Begins Search for Franchise QB
The 2022 offseason has commenced for Washington, meaning the search for its next starting quarterback is officially under way.
The last time Washington had the same guy under center for all 16 games was in 2017 in the form of Kirk Cousins. Since then, 10 different quarterbacks have started at least one game for the yet-unnamed D.C.-based franchise.
This cannot go on forever, and if coach Ron Rivera's team is to reach its potential an upgrade must be found.
"We had a very good meeting earlier, and one of the things that we talked about again was the four options we have on the roster, and free agency, and the draft, and potential trades," Rivera said. "You've got to look at all avenues, and then you've got to kind of predict and look at which ones intrigue you and then go from there."
Currently on the roster are Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen, Garrett Gilbert, and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Do any of those realistically fill anyone with confidence? Well ...
More importantly, if nothing is off the table, then perhaps a trade for a star such as Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson is an option. Or in free agency, the likes of Marcus Mariota or Mitchell Trubisky could be discussed. Then there's the draft where with the 11th pick the likes of Matt Corral, Kenny Pickett or Sam Howell may still be available.
Alternatively, they could look for both a veteran i.e. Fitz-magic, and a rookie i.e. Corral, and attempt to replicate the successful "succession" approach of Kansas City with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes.
When asked if he would consider both a veteran and a youngster in his quarterback room, Rivera simply said: "Nothing's out of the question."
The biggest takeaway from Rivera's comments, which were widely mirrored by general manager Martin Mayhew, is that they will be looking down "all avenues" for a quarterback.
