Del Rio says that he will be back next season

In a season in which Washington’s defense will have given up 6,000 yards (currently at 5,931 with one game left), Jack Del Rio’s job security was questioned at the podium on Thursday. The Washington Football Team ranks 27th in yards, 28th in points, and has one of the league’s worst pass defenses. Further, several key players for the defense underperformed the entire season. Young defensive edge rushers in Montez Sweat (ten games played) and Chase Young (nine games played) combined for six and a half sacks on the season thusfar. Marquee off-season signing Williams Jackson III struggled in his transition to Del Rio’s scheme this year, and his season ended after playing 12 games. 

Washington’s first-round pick, Jamin Davis, struggled in his rookie season and played over 60 percent of the defensive snaps just five times in 15 games. Davis’s development this year has been slow, and the coaches will need to make a decision moving forward on whether he is a middle linebacker or an outside linebacker. 

After such an underwhelming performance as a collective this season, for which the expectations were understandably high for the defense, Jack Del Rio was asked Thursday if he is hopeful to come back next season. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Del Rio said. “I mean, I’m not hopeful; I will be. Yeah.”