Ron

Rivera

With the man Rivera would be replacing, new Commanders coach Dan Quinn, plundering his former staff in Dallas, the Cowboys seem primed to make an outside hire at DC. Rivera was an excellent coordinator for both the Bears and Chargers before becoming Panthers head coach, and lamented late in his Washington tenure that he should have been more hands on with the defense. Perhaps the 62-year-old is running out of ideas at the NFL level, but he would be a sensible retread for a team looking to replace a coordinator who proved to be a major presence in the Cowboys’ recent run of success.

The Rams became the second known team to interview Rivera for their defensive coordinator role, as the Eagles also met with him early last week. Rivera has expressed interest in coaching next season, even if it isn’t as a head coach, and could find himself on a sideline in the near future. Several defensive coordinator vacancies remain during this coaching cycle, as teams that filled head coaching vacancies have just begun filling out their staffs.

Rivera is a former linebacker who rose through the coaching ranks as a defensive coordinator. Before being hired as the Panthers’ head coach for the 2011 season, Rivera spent three seasons as the Bears defensive coordinator (2004-2006) and was the Chargers defensive coordinator from 2008 until 2010. He also spent five seasons as the Eagles’ linebackers coach, which would make his hiring somewhat of a reunion between the two sides. Rivera’s final season in Washington was about as bad as it could get. In addition to going 4-13, the Commanders’ defense also allowed 518 points, the third-most by any team in NFL history. Rivera won’t be responsible for roster management, which was arguably the weakest part of his tenure in Washington, and he’s already gone on record saying how much he enjoyed coaching the defense after the Commanders fired Jack Del Rio mid-way through last season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a coach as respected as Rivera earn another opportunity in the league ahead of next season.

According to Rivera, he just wants to make sure whatever job he takes is “the right one.” He also noted that he enjoyed serving as the Commanders’ defensive coordinator over the final five weeks of the season and that, in doing so, he realized how much he missed working in that capacity. Rivera’s Commanders went 4-13 in his final season at the helm. Serving as both GM and head coach, he often appeared out-matched on the field and away from it. Rivera also noted he “would’ve loved a different model” than the coach-centric one he took on under former owner Dan Snyder. Widely regarded as one of the nicest coaches the league has to offer, it’s easy to envision Rivera finding a new role before the start of 2024. With that said, a coaching position feels unlikely, although we can’t rule out anything until teams start hiring head coaches.

You’d be hard pressed to find what Rivera did to improve Washington during his tenure. Some will point to Rivera ‘changing the culture’ in Washington despite his failures on the field, but former GM and PR nightmare Bruce Allen was fired days before Rivera was hired, and the league — not Rivera — was largely responsible for forcing former owner Dan Snyder out last offseason. It’s apparent he never established a winning culture, as he failed to finish above .500 in any of his four seasons, and he went 4-13 in a year that was supposed to be an improvement on 2022’s 8-8-1 record. Rivera is a high-character guy that has been beloved by the media and league for years, but with just three winning seasons in 13 years, it’s hard to imagine another team giving him control of a franchise anytime soon.

Things have been trending this way for a while. Hired in 2020, Rivera has not posted a winning record in four seasons as the Commanders’ boss, though he did sneak a 7-9 squad into the playoffs in his first year on the headset. Sitting at 4-12 with another loss at the hands of Dallas likely on the way, the Commanders bottomed out this year, all but ensuring Rivera would be let go at the end of the year. Washington’s franchise was purchased by billionaire Josh Harris during the season, and he’s expected to overhaul the front office and coaching staff. General manager Martin Mayhew is likely on the way out as a part of that retooling as well. Rivera should draw some interest as a defensive coordinator once his firing is official, though the 62-year-old NFL lifer could decide to hang up the headset after over 25 years in the league as a coach alone.

Schefter said “changes are expected” after mentioning the Commanders would be wise to respect the fact that Sunday is head coach Ron Rivera’s birthday. But it’s obvious what change he is referring to. The news is hardly a surprise. Rivera’s firing has been rumored for a few months. With new ownership taking over the Washington franchise this year, Rivera won’t be the only Commander shown the door at the end of the regular season. Expect a full overhaul of the coaching staff and the front office. Per Schefter, new owner Josh Harris plans to “start over” and will not spare any expense to find the right guys.

Pelissero noted that major changes beyond canning Rivera are likely on the way. Washington hired Martin Mayhew as their general manager in 2021, but he is likely on the way out as well. The Commanders franchise was bought by an investment group led by billionaire Josh Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, during the season. Naturally, Harris will want to bring in his own choice at general manager who will in turn want his staff to fill out the coaching ranks. Rivera has been with the Commanders since 2020 and has yet to get the team to a winning record. At 4-11 this year, his fate is all but decided.

In other words, the team is unlikely to fire Rivera over the next month, but wait until the end of the regular season to part ways. Major changes are expected in Washington under new ownership after another disappointing year. The emergence of Sam Howell as a potential franchise quarterback offers some hope for the Commanders, who badly need a true WR1 to pair with Terry McLaurin and a vastly improved defense.

We know Rivera wouldn’t fire himself, but defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio’s job is very much on the hot seat after his defense allowed 40 points to the once 0-4 Bears. The Commanders have given up 30 or more points in three of four games this season and were left looking for answers while Justin Fields and the Bears ran through, over, and around their defense on their way to 451 total yards at 7.0 yards per play. First-round corner Emmanuel Forbes has allowed the most receiving yards of any corner in the league this season, and free agent signee Cody Barton is the worst graded linebacker per PFF. These only highlight a few of the Commanders’ issues but change could be coming if the team flops again in Week 6 against the Falcons.