With only one playoff appearance since he was hired to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders in 2020, Ron Rivera headed into the 2023 season with one of the hottest seats in the NFL.
That seat has only gotten hotter, with the Commanders winning just four of their first 12 games this year, and some believe Rivera is currently in the middle of his final few weeks with the franchise.
On Sunday, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported that Washington isn’t expected to fire Rivera before the end of the current season, but that the team will likely move on from him as their head coach during the upcoming offseason (via Dov Kleiman on Twitter).
REPORT: #Commanders are expected to move on from head coach Ron Rivera next season, per @jjones9
From the report: “Multiple sources tell CBS Sports that managing partner Josh Harris is inclined to keep Ron Rivera through the end of the regular season, but it is widely assumed… https://t.co/3IYgiqHbNK pic.twitter.com/rybHPGhyO9
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 26, 2023
Most recently, Rivera decided to part ways with Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio after the team’s embarrassing 35-point loss to the Dallas Cowboys this past Thursday.
Washington is currently allowing the second-most points per offensive drive to their opponents this season, and that’s not a good look for Rivera since he’s a head coach with a defensive background.
If the Commanders aren’t going to perform well on defense with Rivera leading the way, then there doesn’t seem to be many reasons to keep him around.
Despite helping lead the team to the playoffs in 2020, Washington has never finished with a winning record with Rivera as their head coach (they finished 7-9 in 2020).
With a 4-8 record after the first 12 weeks of the current season, that trend is going to continue unless the Commanders are able to win each of their final five games.
But don’t bet on that actually happening.
NEXT:
Ron Rivera Reveals A Change Of Focus For His Coaching Duties
