Former Redskins CB Bashaud Breeland cites cultural difference in KC

The Redskins themselves aren’t anywhere near the Super Bowl that will occur this coming weekend, but they’ll be represented indirectly by several figures.

On the 49ers side of the field, the Washington Redskins will be represented by head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was the team’s offensive coordinator from 2010 to the end of 2013. Shanahan has since gone on to lead incredibly efficient offensive units in Atlanta and on the west coast, and he enters this Super Bowl as a young head coach reaching his peak.

On the other side of the field, in the Kansas City Chiefs contingent, there are no direct coaching ties to the Redskins. But in the locker room, and particularly in the defensive backs room, the Redskins are well-represented. Kendall Fuller is still one of the Chiefs’ pass defenders, after being traded there in 2018, and Bashaud Breeland, once a D.C. castoff, is serving a prominent role as a rotational cornerback as well.

Michael Phillips of The Richmond Times Dispatch had time to catch up with Breeland and ask the former Washington cornerback some questions in the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Among his questions, Phillips asked Breeland about the difference between D.C. and K.C. Breeland had this to say, among other things:

“It’s the attitude; the vibe. It’s family [here]. I know everybody always says they’re family, but this team really preaches it and lives it and walks it.”

Breeland’s comment implies that the culture in Washington D.C., at least for his time with the team, was less than family-like. The record supports his assertion, as the Redskins were often known for their dysfunction, instability, and cultural toxicity under former team president Bruce Allen.

Now, things appear to be changing, as Ron Rivera, in his introductory press conference, emphasized the very family values that Breeland felt were lacking in his time in the nation’s capital. Rivera was hired specifically to fix the issue of culture in the Redskins locker room, and he has a good resume, as far as that task is concerned.

Strong culture alone does not guarantee success, but as Breeland’s 2019 Chiefs show, it’s a start, at the very least. Both the 49ers and Chiefs have competent cultural climates, with little dysfunction and widespread respect, and to get where those teams are now, the Redskins will have to emulate that environment as best as they can.