Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera said he didn't want to speculate on defensive end Ryan Kerrigan's desire to be traded -- or any attempt by the team to possibly unload him by Tuesday's trade deadline.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Kerrigan had requested a trade. Other sources have said there hasn't been any direct request by Kerrigan to be traded from the team that drafted him in the first round in 2011. Multiple sources said the team hasn't received any offers for Kerrigan.
"It's all been rumors, so we're going to leave it at that," Rivera said Monday. "Ryan's been a big part of what we've done, been a big part of this organization for a number of years, has had a tremendous amount of success. We have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is as a member of the Washington Football Team."
Kerrigan, 32, is in the final year of a contract that pays him a base salary of $11.5 million this season, which could limit interest from other teams. Last year, multiple sources said the organization's desire was to keep Kerrigan with the franchise "for life." But after the front office and coaching turnover, Kerrigan is now in a different spot.
Washington drafted Chase Young with the second overall pick last April and paired him with 2019 first-round pick Montez Sweat at end. Their presence has limited Kerrigan's playing time. Kerrigan, Washington's all-time leader in sacks with 94, has played just 23 snaps combined over the past two games.
Part of that stems from Washington's offense controlling the ball for an average of 34:57 the past two games. But Kerrigan had averaged 26.6 snaps in the first five games, boosted by a 40-snap game when Young was injured in Week 3 at Cleveland.
"He's been exactly what we hoped he would be," Rivera said. "He's contributed, made impact plays. He's impacting our young players on the team, setting the example. He's the right kind of guy to have here."
Young has referred to Kerrigan as a "dude" because of how he prepares and plays. Young even went back and watched Kerrigan's tape from his days at Purdue to see how he developed as a pass-rusher.
Rivera said Kerrigan sets a strong example. He said it's different from when he entered the NFL as a player in 1984 with Chicago.
"I had veteran guys who didn't saddle up to a young player to help them out or told the young player something wrong and incorrect so the player would make a mistake," Rivera said. "I don't see that from guys like Ryan."