Ron Rivera, head coach of the Washington Football Team, says he has been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer located in a lymph node.
Rivera says he has every intention on coaching Washington for the 2020 season.
The 58-year-old Ron Rivera has consulted with a number of doctors and specialists and is establishing a treatment plan with the team and an outside specialist. For now, it’s business as usual for Washington but a “Plan B” is in place. https://t.co/7SsmnAfy2w
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 21, 2020
In a statement, Rivera said the diagnosis was caught in the early stages and is “very treatable and curable.”
Should Rivera need to miss time, however, the team already has a plan in place. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, has been designated as the next-in-line. Del Rio has head coaching experience with both the Jaguars (from 2003-11) and Raiders (2015-17).
Ron Rivera to ESPN on his reaction to the news that he had lymph node cancer: “I was stunned. But I was angry because I feel like I feel like I’m in best health I’ve been in.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 21, 2020
This will be Ron Rivera’s first year in D.C. Previously, he was head coach of the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2019. He was fired in early December during the 2019 season. He has a career 76-61-1 record. In 2015, his Panthers went 15-1 in the regular season before losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
