The Commanders underwent significant change during the 2023 NFL offseason when Daniel Snyder sold the team to an ownership group led by Josh Harris.
Harris’ group provided a much-needed change for a dysfunctional Washington organization that had suffered greatly under Snyder. They have already made several changes to their off-the-field product to try to win back fans who had defected under the previous ownership.
That said, Harris and Co. also came into the season hoping that the team’s off-field improvements would be matched by ones on the field. Thus far, that hasn’t been the case.
The Commanders are 4-8 after a blowout Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys. That came on the heels of an embarrassing defeat against the 3-8 Giants during which third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito performed at a high level against Washington’s hapless defense.
That led many to believe that Rivera’s job could be in danger with a poor performance against the Cowboys, especially with a Week 14 bye looming.
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Here’s what to know about Rivera’s future with the Commanders beyond the 2023 season.
Will the Commanders fire Ron Rivera?
Rivera’s status with the Commanders appears to be tenuous, but it isn’t clear whether the team will dismiss him in-season.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thanksgiving that Harris’ goal has been “to take the entire season” to evaluate Rivera’s performance. However, that calculus could change if the Cowboys beat the Commanders soundly on Thursday, as Rapoport details.
What’s unclear for the team going into Thursday’s game is if last week’s crushing loss to the Giants, coupled with a blowout loss to the Cowboys (if that were to happen today) would change the plans.
History has shown that an ugly nationally televised outcome can trigger movement — even if the hope going in was just the opposite.
So, it would appear that Rivera’s seat is scorching hot. Still, Rapoport noted that Rivera has “forged a strong relationship with Harris” and that they “have a mutual respect.” That may be enough for Rivera to stick around even if the team’s on-field performance continues to be poor.
But either way, it appears that Rivera’s job with the Commanders is in jeopardy. It may be just a matter of time before the new ownership group takes it in another direction, barring a strong late-season improvement by Rivera’s squad.
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Ron Rivera coaching record
Rivera is in his fourth season with Washington. He has done an excellent job of leading the team through off-the-field turmoil, but his performance on the field has merely been average.
Rivera has led the Commanders to a record of 26-35-1 under his watch. He hasn’t led the team to a winning season thus far, as their best finish was a mark of 8-8-1 during the 2022 season. The team did, however, win the NFC East in 2020 with a record of 7-9, but they lost their playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.
Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Rivera’s four seasons in Washington.
Year Record 2020 7-9 2021 7-10 2022 8-8-1 2023 4-8 Total 26-35-1
Rivera’s overall coaching record, including his nine years in charge of the Panthers, is 102-98-2. So, his winning percentage in Washington (.427) has been noticeably lower than his achievements during his days with the Panthers (.546).
Rivera also got the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 after a 15-1 regular season. They lost in the championship game to Peyton Manning, Von Miller and the Broncos, and Rivera hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 NFC championship game.
Below is a look at Rivera’s performance with the Panthers by season:
Year Record 2011 6-10 2012 7-9 2013 12-4 2014 7-8-1 2015 15-1 2016 6-10 2017 11-5 2018 7-9 2019 5-7* Total 76-63-1
* Fired after Week 13.