Don’t expect Redskins’ culture change to happen overnight

There has been a lot of talk about the Washington Redskins and the culture change that is being brought to the franchise from new head coach Ron Rivera. While that new culture is being set and integrated throughout the locker room and into the front office, don’t expect it to happen overnight.

That’s not to say that we won’t see some seeds germinate this upcoming season; we very well may watch as the team starts to put a few things together and hold tough in several games, buying into the program and finding a way to string together a few wins. However, if you’re expecting Rivera to step in the door and instantly transform the Redskins into a playoff team overnight, you need to dial back some of those expectations.

Rivera said as much on Wednesday.

Rivera tells the military families it takes “three to five years to change a culture.” Says in his first zoom meeting with the team Monday he stressed building a “sustainable winning culture.” Goes without saying he stresses the ultimate goal is Super Bowls.

— John Keim (@john_keim) May 20, 2020

The start of Rivera’s tenure in Washington has been thrown for a loop due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he was able to hold his first virtual team meeting with over 130 people recently, and he talked to the team about buying in at the core, and starting something new. While a few wins here and there may fill the seats, it is the winning seasons down the road that Washington is focused on now.

It all starts with the players who buy into a culture. The seeds we are seeing planted now will start to sprout in due time, we just have to be patient.