Rivera's influencing how Commanders' next facility will look originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
NFL head coaches are always involved in the design of a game plan. The design of a new team headquarters, though? Well, that's quite rare — except when you're Ron Rivera.
After apparently having at least a modicum of input on Washington's recent rebrand, Rivera is now chiming in on how the Commanders' next facility should look.
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That building won't be as significant as the club's upcoming stadium, yet it will still house coaches, players, practice fields and much more if it does indeed get built.
Rivera's wish list for it begins and ends with one amenity.
"Room," he told reporters this week. "Lots of room. Seriously, because you run out of it very quickly."
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Washington's current headquarters, which is situated in Ashburn, Virginia, is a place that Rivera has tinkered with since joining the franchise at the beginning of 2020.
While the media hasn't been allowed inside of the space for the majority of Rivera's tenure due to the pandemic, he explained that he's "reconfigured" much of it.
That's a task he'd like to avoid if he's still in charge when the squad changes addresses.
"We've gotta make it adequate for our players," he said.
Rivera has also provided insight on his vision for the weight room, various offices, meeting areas and training room.
However, he isn't contributing much in terms of the future stadium itself.
"Other than telling me where they're looking? No," Rivera said when asked if Dan and Tanya Snyder are updating him on that aspect of the plan. "As long as it's in the DMV, I think we're in good shape."
The unspoken element of all this, of course, is that Rivera could very well no longer be around by the time this entire project is completed. Washington will remain at FedEx Field until 2027 at the minimum, and after back-to-back seven-win seasons, Rivera's status as the boss is far from cemented.
That didn't prevent Rivera from receiving questions about the complicated topic at OTAs on Tuesday, and to his credit, he tried to give thoughtful answers instead of dodging the inquiries altogether.
Besides, regardless of whether he is still employed by the Commanders or not, he's been in the NFL for decades now, meaning he fully understands what makes for a quality facility.
Rivera is certainly getting his money's worth as someone who first came to Washington with the promise of standing at the center of a coach-centric approach. It sounds like his influence will be felt for many, many years to come, too, even if he's not actually at the helm for a truly extended stretch.
