King’s promotion at Washington sets league milestone
The Washington Football Team promoted Jennifer King to assistant running backs coach Tuesday, making her the first Black female assistant position coach in the NFL.
King is the second woman in league history to be an assistant position coach after Tampa Bay’s assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust. King spent the 2020 season as a full-year coaching intern under Washingotn head coach Ron Rivera and worked with running backs coach Randy Jordan.
Rivera said King came to Washington eager for the opportunity and is deserving of the promotion.
“The sky is truly the limit for her,” Rivera said. “She got the chance to experience not only the in-season work that goes into being a full-time coach in this league but also the countless hours that are spent preparing in the offseason, as well.
“She demonstrated all of the qualities that are needed to work full time on my staff.”
King previously interned for Rivera with the Carolina Panthers and has also been an assistant at Dartmouth College and for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of
American Football.
Rodgers clarifies words on future
All-pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Tuesday, “I don’t think there’s any reason why I wouldn’t be back” with the Green Bay Packers next season. But he added that his future isn’t necessarily in his control.
Rodgers was clarifying remarks he made Sunday after the Packers’ 31-26 NFC Championship Game loss to Tampa Bay. Rodgers said after the game “there’s a lot of guys’ futures that are uncertain, myself included.”
“Obviously after the season I had, potentially winning MVP and we obviously made another good run, I don’t think there’s any reason why I wouldn’t be back,” Rodgers said during his weekly spot on Siriusxm Radio’s “The Pat Mcafee Show.” “But there’s not many absolutes, as you guys know, in this business. So to make an absolute statement about something that is not an absolute, I didn’t do it.”
While discussing his postgame comments, Rodgers said it “just kind of hit me in the moment” as he was thinking about some teammates whose futures were uncertain. The Packers’ list of potential free agents includes All-pro center Corey Linsley and Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones.
Rodgers, 37, threw 48 touchdown passes and five interceptions during the regular season.