Things have been difficult for the Washington Commanders for quite some time now. After a tumultuous time with the prior ownership in place, the Commanders looked at 2023 as a chance at a fresh start. However, that plan for a hopeful future will go forward without Ron Rivera and his services there for it.
The team has decided to move on from the head coach, putting an end to a rocky chapter for both the team and the coach. Whether Rivera was given a fair shake with all of the turmoil within the walls of the organization is a conversation for another day. But the team has decided to go in another direction, and this chapter has officially come to an end.
Why Did the Commanders Fire Ron Rivera?
Football isn’t much different than any profession in the sense that it is a results-based business. Rivera and the staff just did not do enough to win in Washington, and, as a result, his time as the leader of the franchise is now over.
The Commanders finished 2023 with a 4-13 record after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the final week of the year, and that was the last game of the Ron Rivera era in Washington.
There certainly was enough distraction during his tenure, but with the changing of ownership and looking for a fresh start, it was going to take a heroic effort from Rivera’s team in 2023 to keep his job safe, and that just did not happen.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, new Commanders owner Josh Harris has hired two prominent executives – former Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman – to assist his group in searches for a new head of football operations and coach.
Harris released the following statement after releasing Rivera.
Statement from #Commanders owner Josh Harris, who says Magic Johnson will also be part of the advisory committee to hire a head of football operations and head coach after Ron Rivera’s firing. pic.twitter.com/A8XuzaLAMk
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 8, 2024
Odds were against Rivera from the beginning from the beginning when the new ownership group was announced. Typically groups want their guys in place as they flesh out their plan of attack for the franchise, and while Rivera is a respected NFL coach, he is not their guy, which puts him at a disadvantage.
Rivera released a lengthy statement after the news broke.
“I want every Washington fan to know how much I appreciate your unwavering support. Through all the name changes, roster moves, non-football headlines and seasons that did not meet your expectations, you still stood by this team. We did win an NFC East title in 2020, but we fell short since then and for that, I am truly disappointed.”
Rivera’s Record With the Commanders
Rivera finished his tenure in Washington with a woeful 26-40-1 record.
During his four-year run with the franchise, Rivera did not have a winning season and only finished at .500 once — in 2022 when they finished 8-8-1 — and was his best season as the head coach of the Commanders.
During Rivera’s first season with the team in 2020, they finished 7-9, followed by 7-10, 8-8-1, and finally 4-13 this season. Rivera was brought in to turn around a struggling but once proud franchise, and he was just unable to do that.
While understanding that results are all that matters in the position, Rivera’s hand that he was dealt was not an easy one.
His first season in the nation’s capital was during the Covid season in which nothing was normal for anyone.
The team struggled as much as the NFC East did that year, and despite no one having a quality season in the division that season, Rivera and his team were not able to capitalize on it.
The following season was not much better and the year after winning just seven games, it was followed by the same amount of wins in 2021. The Commanders struggled to find a quarterback to build around and even saw their stout defense take a step back as well, despite that being Rivera’s calling card.
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2022 was Rivera’s best season with the team and it still was not good enough to get on the plus side of .500. The No. 1 thing that held Rivera and his tenure back was not finding the quarterback to build around.
Even in 2023, with the hope that Sam Howell could be the man for the job, he proved that he may not be, which set the team back and ultimately was Rivera’s demise.
Rivera’s Coaching Timeline
2023 signaled Rivera’s 13th season as an NFL head coach, a position that he held beginning with the Carolina Panthers in 2011. He spent nine seasons with the Panthers and finished with a record of 76-63-1. Rivera’s tenure with the Panthers included a Super Bowl appearance, and he shared far more success with his prior franchise than he ever did with his most recent one.
Moving forward, what is next for Rivera is unknown. He could look to get right back on the horse and join a staff as a defensive coordinator, or maybe he could hold out for another head coaching job.
There’s also a possibility that he could choose to retire and move on to the next chapter of his life. Rivera has had battles with health issues and may decide that moving on to a more relaxing time in his life may be the way to go.
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