Tuesday was the unofficial end of the Washington Commanders’ 2023 season. And unless there’s else something going on in D.C. that’s gone unreported, it’s the unofficial end of Ron Rivera’s time as Commanders head coach.
By trading both Montez Sweat and Chase Young for 2024 NFL Draft picks, the Commanders signaled Tuesday that they’re burning it down and starting over.
That doesn’t bode well for a 61-year-old head coach who has a 27-33-1 record in his three and a half years in Washington, with zero playoff wins and zero plan at quarterback.
The End of the Line for Washington Commanders Coach Ron Rivera?
Rivera is a man who deserves respect and latitude. He was a steadying force during the end of Dan Snyder’s ugly reign as Commanders owner. He’s been a part of the NFL for nearly four decades, and a head coach for the last 13 seasons.
But he wasn’t new Washington boss Josh Harris’ pick for the job. Neither was general manager Martin Mayhew, who constructed a Commanders roster that at the season’s midway point is in 11th place in a very bad NFC.
And based on this report from The Athletic, it was Harris — not Rivera — who was the animating force behind the team’s decision to trade Washington’s best two pass rushers.
I was told Washington ownership had a strong hand in deciding to deal both Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Many in the building wanted to keep them because they believe in this team but in the end, its about the future for the Commanders.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 31, 2023
Brighter days are presumably ahead for Washington, which will be loaded with draft picks — including five in the top 100 — in a quarterback-rich 2024 NFL Draft.
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What’s more, the Commanders should have somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million in 2024 salary cap space.
The ingredients are there for a bright future. But it’ll likely take a couple of years to realize that potential.
It just seems unlikely that the Commanders would want Rivera to lead that rebuild — particularly in an era when teams are finding great success by hiring young offensive minds.
And so, the end has never seemed nearer for Rivera in Washington.
If he wants to be a zombie coach for the season’s final two months, he has earned that right.
But if not, the Commanders should turn the page now.