Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden is doing some damage control after one of his players had some unkind things to say about the organization and its fans.
Washington linebacker Mason Foster was critical of the team in an Instagram exchange with a fan that the fan leaked on Tuesday night. At one point, Foster wrote “f— this team and this fan base” to the fan, adding later that “I’ll try my chances and go to a winning team next year.”
Gruden downplayed the comments, though he admitted that he’d privately spoken with Foster about their appropriateness.
“I really don’t even care,” Gruden said, via John Keim of ESPN. “It’s a private message. I know Mason and how hard he’s worked and how hard he plays. I know he wouldn’t say anything publicly to do that. That was a private deal. He could’ve been messing around. I don’t know the intent of that message; I don’t really care.
“I do, however, disagree with that guy posting a private message out on social media. He broke a code there that I don’t agree with. As far as Mason, I have nothing but respect for him as a person and a player.”
Foster wouldn’t be the only Washington player less than enamored with the team’s fanbase. It’s a fitting end to a season that started so promisingly but, thanks largely to injuries, is well on its way to total collapse.
