Why did Commanders fire Ron Rivera? Exploring Riverboat Ron's dull 2023 season
Ron Rivera was one of the casualties for 2024 Black Monday in the NFL, now that the 2023 regular season has officially concluded. This annual day is when the most head coaches are fired each year, as well as general managers and other staff members for many franchises.
Like the Washington Commanders, most owners prefer to wait until the season is over before most of their firings.
It doesn't come as much of a surprise that Ron Rivera was let go of his position as the head coach of the Commanders.
They have significantly regressed this year, as he finished with a career-worst 4-13 record and missed out on the NFL playoffs for the third time in his four years in Washington. In fact, just the Carolina Panthers, Rivera's former team, had a worse record this season.
In addition to the disappointing record during the 2023 NFL season, new ownership likely played a major role in Ron Rivera being fired as well.
Josh Harris purchased the franchise from Dan Snyder this year, so he inherited much of the staff from previous ownership. Harris, like most owners, likely wants the opportunity to put his own touches on leadership, especially considering their struggling record.
The Washington Commanders released a statement by Josh Harris on social media following Rivera's firing, giving this explanation for their decision:
"The results this season were not good enough and a strategic shift in leadership and approach is necessary."
In the end, Rivera coached the Commanders for four seasons and accumulated a disappointing 26-40-1 record with just one appearance in the playoffs and zero postseason wins.
Even if Snyder still owned the team, Rivera was clearly going to be in the hot seat this year. Addin Harris purchased the team, and it was hard to imagine the veteran head coach keeping his job.
With Ron Rivera out, what's next for the Commanders?
Finding a new head coach to replace Ron Rivera is obviously one of the most urgent, as well as one of the most important, decisions that Josh Harris will need to make in his first full NFL offseason as the owner of the Washington Commanders.
The franchise's plans for the 2024 NFL Draft is also likely towards the top of their priorities this year.
The one positive side to having such a terrible season is that the Commanders will have the luxury of picking second in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Only the Chiacgo Bears, who acquired the top pick from the Carolina Panthers, will pick before Washington. All things considered, especially with major changes to all of their leadership positions, it's extremely likely that they select a quarterback in the first round.
While Sam Howell had a relatively strong statistical season, it didn't help the Commanders win many games in his first season as a starter.
The new leadership also usually prefers to pick their own quarterback rather than inheriting a previous one, especially with a high pick in the upcoming draft. They will have the opportunity to select one of their top two options to lead their franchise going forward.
In a recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft, the Commanders are projected to select Drake Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
He is the number two quarterback in most pre-draft prospect rankings, trailing only USC's Caleb Williams. Other quarterbacks, such as Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels, are also in the mix as potential first-round quarterbacks.
Much can change in terms of quarterback rankings before the draft at the end of April in Detroit, but what won't change is that the Commanders can target their next quarterback, if they choose to do so, and pair him with whoever replaces Ron Rivera as their next head coach.