Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Saturday that Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick are expected to be let go once the 2023 season ends.
Bill Belichick, Ron Rivera Out at Conclusion of Season
Rumors have been spiraling that either coach could be losing their job at some point after the way things have gone this season. The Patriots are having a disastrous season as they currently sit at 3-10, and the Commanders have also struggled greatly at 4-9.
After the Cowboys defeated the Commanders 45-10 on Thanksgiving, several fans started calling for a coaching change, with some hoping to see a longtime NFL assistant get his long overdue head coaching chance: Eric Bieniemy.
The team then took another rough 45-15 loss to the Dolphins. Russini says at this point, it is not a secret that Rivera will be fired at the end of the season.
“At this point, it’s understood around the building based on multiple people I have spoken with that Ron Rivera and some front office members will be fired,” Russini wrote. “Since acquiring the team, new owner Josh Harris has had the vision to keep Rivera in place through the end of the season, then move on. It’s really not a secret anymore.”
Rivera has been coaching the Commanders since 2020. His best record was an 8-8-1 season in 2022.
At 5-9 this season, the Commanders are already guaranteed a sub-.500 record, and they could potentially post their worst record of Rivera’s tenure. While they started 3-3 and looked to potentially vie for a playoff spot, things have gone downhill since.
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Additionally, Rivera was put in a tough position this season as the team decided to go with inexperienced quarterback Sam Howell, who made only one start as a rookie last season.
Entering Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Rivera is 26-36-1 with one playoff appearance and no playoff wins during his time with the Commanders.
If Bieniemy isn’t promoted to the head coach position, other potential candidates include Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator who is a hot name among head coach candidates, or maybe even Belichick.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that there’s “chatter in some league circles” that the Commanders could look to trade for Belichick. Now that it’s looking like Belichick will certainly be fired after this season, this is certainly a possibility.
In New England, fans have been calling for the firing of Belichick for weeks as the season has completely unraveled. While Belichick has found tremendous success as a coach throughout the years, things have just not panned out this season.
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The team has not seemed to find the same success that it did with Tom Brady, and it looks like Belichick’s tenure with the Patriots will end soon.
“A similar picture is taking shape in New England, where most believe at the end of this season there will be a mutual parting of ways,” Russini wrote.
The Patriots were the first AFC team eliminated from playoff contention and made history as the first team since 1938 to lose three consecutive games in which the opposing team scored 10 points or fewer.
The franchise has a 28-35 record since the start of the 2020 season, and this is the third time in four seasons since Tom Brady left that New England will miss the playoffs.
According to Russini, the Patriots ideal Belichick replacement is off the table
“The Patriots aren’t trading for Vrabel if they and Belichick part ways. Nothing has changed there,” she wrote.
On the other hand, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Belichick’s fate has not yet been decided.
“While the expectation is that a decision on his future will play out over the next month, sources also say it could take longer than that,” Rapoport wrote. “Sources say not only has owner Robert Kraft not come to a firm conclusion on what will happen next with his head-coaching situation, but the way New England finishes could go a long way in determining what’s next.”
If Belichick does indeed leave at the end of the season, the favorite on the current Patriots coaching staff to replace Belichick is Jerod Mayo, a former New England player whom Belichick has taken under his wing.
The Patriots are getting ready to take on a struggling Kansas City team this Sunday.
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