It’s not often an NFL coach goes through an ownership change. But for a coach to go through two ownership changes is extremely unusual.
That’s precisely what Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is facing in his fourth season in Washington. The Commanders were sold on July 20 to a group led by Josh Harris. Harris, who owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, took over too late in the year to make any massive changes. That meant Rivera and his coaching staff would have a prove-it year under new ownership.
Rivera should be feeling the heat with a record of 4-6 this season and 26-33-1 overall. He hasn’t won more than eight games in a season. Even more, in Washington’s “coach-centric” model, Rivera is essentially the Commanders’ GM, too. He is responsible for the team’s roster issues.
When Rivera was in Carolina, David Tepper took over as owner in 2018. Like Harris, he took over after the traditional NFL hiring cycle, giving Rivera and his staff another year. In 2019, the Panthers struggled, and Tepper eventually fired Rivera.
So when Harris took over this summer, all parties were saying the right things, with Rivera acknowledging his experience in Carolina and that he needed to win in 2023.
On Friday, Rivera was asked if he worried about his future.
“Honestly, I really don’t,” Rivera said. I understand the situation of circumstances, but I’m not going to waver on anything. I’m going to stick to what I talked about in the spring, and that was the growth and development of the quarterback and the offensive unit. I think with what we’re doing and how we’re doing things, it’s kind of the progression of how it would be.
“My biggest disappointment has been we haven’t played as well on defense as we needed to. Does that make my job security shaky? It could. I have no idea what Mr. Harris is going to do. So all I can do is just focus in on each game, each week, and just stay on that game. I did the same thing in Carolina, and the truth is, this is the nature of the game. I get it. So, if it happens, it happens. If I stay, I stay, and so until then, I will just continue to work.”
That’s an honest answer from Rivera.
Then there was this soundbite.
Ron Rivera did not hold back today.
He was asked if it has been difficult not to wonder about the future?
Rivera said, “No…f*** I’ve been through enough. The last three and a half years have not been easy. Anybody who thinks it’s been easy the hell with them.” pic.twitter.com/xdiUARacV1
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) November 17, 2023
When Rivera talks about what he has gone through over the past three-plus years, he isn’t lying. The man courageously battled cancer in his first season and led Washington to the playoffs.
Since that time, Rivera has had to deal with all of former owner Dan Snyder’s scandals, three name changes and the sale of the team. Sure, he hasn’t won enough games, but Rivera was certainly the right coach at the right time for Washington, and that counts for something.
Fans want a winner — and deserve a winner. While no one outside of Harris and his partners knows what Rivera’s future holds, the coach can certainly make the claim he’d be leaving Washington better than it was four years ago.
