Plenty of speculation has surrounded Washington Redskins pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan this offseason. The former first-round pick has just one more year remaining on his contract, recorded a career-low 5.5 sacks in 2019 and turns 32 this August. Additionally, Washington selected a pass rusher in the first round for the second year in a row. With the influx of new talent and the Redskins switching from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3, Kerrigan was seen as a candidate to be potentially traded away, but defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and new head coach Ron Rivera appear excited to create a role for him in their new defense.
Kerrigan is entering season No. 10 in Washington, and is currently just 1.5 sacks away from becoming the franchise's all-time sack leader. During a recent Zoom conference with reporters, Kerrigan said that he is hoping to re-sign with the Redskins following this season, and is hopeful that the future with Rivera is bright.
"I obviously hope to be here for the duration of my football career, however long that is," Kerrigan said, via the Redskins' official website. "I've gotten to talk to [head] coach Rivera a couple of times over the phone, haven't really been able to meet him in person yet because of the whole lockdown and what not. Hopefully I'm here for the long haul. I want to be here. They know where I stand and I want to be here."
Kerrigan played as a 4-3 defensive end during his collegiate days at Purdue, but Montez Sweat and Chase Young found success at that position more recently. All three players were First-Team All-Americans in college and first-round picks, so it remains to be seen who will start and what the rotation will look like along the defensive line. Either way, Kerrigan is excited for what he will be capable of in this new system, and he says he can still play a major role on this defense.
"Just going through the Zoom meetings these past couple of months and getting to learn what they expect from us on the edge, it's exciting," Kerrigan said. "I'm hoping, obviously, to be a big part of this team and this defense."
"We've got the talent there. Everyone knows what Chase can do. Sweat, I think he's an extremely talented guy, he finished strong last year. We've got a chance to be pretty effective and pretty productive on the edge."
Del Rio recently said that players are going to have to deal with "not being a starter" and learn how to work in a rotation. With Sweat and Kerrigan having worked as 3-4 pass rushers last year, they may be versatile enough to play a little bit of outside linebacker in short-yardage situations. Kerrigan has been a fixture on Washington's defense for the last decade, and he seems unwilling to let a new system or new talent at his position change that.
