Ron Rivera was the head coach of the Washington Commanders from 2020-2023. Under his tenure, the team went 26-40 and only made the playoffs once. Not only did Rivera have a bad record on the field, but his failure to evaluate talent for drafts was also a big disappointment.
The franchise recently released Emmanuel Forbes, whom Rivera drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Commanders fans went after their former head coach and called him out for his decisions, which are still hurting the team.
Ron Rivera Faces Backlash From Commanders Fans
Rivera drafted Forbes while Christian Gonzalez was still available, which turned out to be one of the biggest blunders. The New England Patriots drafted Gonzalez with the 17th overall pick, and the Oregon product is already one of the best players in his position.
During his time with Washington, Rivera drafted Forbes (2023), Jahan Dotson (2022), Jamin Davis (2021), and Chase Young (2020) in the first round. None of them are on the team’s roster now, which explains how poorly the franchise operated under its former head coach.
Here’s how the fans directed their anger towards Rivera after the Commanders released Forbes:
Genuinely wanna know what went through this man's head pic.twitter.com/yGDnCygmya
— Ezekiel ☝🏾💯 (@EZ_eekiel) November 30, 2024
“Ron Rivera, you will pay for your crimes on my favorite team,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “Ron Rivera should be arrested,”
— Ryan Trotter (@Trotter_331) November 30, 2024
“Ron Rivera needs to be brought in front of a senate committee,” wrote one fan.
“This fan base would’ve had a better stint at GM than Ron Rivera. That is not subjective; that is a fact. Washington Ron may have been the worst talent evaluator I’ve ever seen.” said another Commanders fan.
Ron is historically bad at drafting first rounders https://t.co/rtZftIyenC
— Hugh (@CommandersPost) November 30, 2024
Per Nicki Jhabvala, only 12/43 of the Commanders players drafted from the 2019-2023 NFL Draft are still on the roster.
Rivera is not the only one who should be blamed for the team’s draft decisions. Former general manager Martin Mayhew and owner Dan Snyder also played a big part in the franchise’s poor decisions.
Fortunately for the Commanders fans, things are looking positive under the new ownership and the general manager-head coach duo of Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.
Commanders Struck Gold in First Round After Rivera’s Departure
In their first draft after Rivera’s departure, Washington drafted Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick. So far, the former LSU star has looked like the best quarterback from his draft class and is the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Although the Commanders have lost their last three games, they are still 7-5 on the season and are quite likely to make the playoffs. This will be a remarkable achievement from the team in their first season under Quinn, and the only way is up from here.
With the quarterback position now addressed, the Commanders will look to add more talent on the defensive side in the earlier rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Quinn will then be responsible for getting the best out of those players, as he is known for developing players like Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons during his time as the defensive coordinator in Dallas.
Washington will face the Tennessee Titans in Week 13, and a win will go a long way for the team as they have a bye next week.
