Ron Rivera Reveals Job Offers Following Commanders Firing; 'Take A Step Back?'

Coach Ron Rivera Reveals Job Offers Following Washington Commanders Firing; 'Take A Step Back?'

The tenure of Washington Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera might have been different, frankly, if during that tenure he'd been allowed to just coach.

The regime of former owner Dan Snyder demanded more. Rivera gave that to the organization.

Now, maybe, comes an opportunity to simply coach - even if it is in form of, as he phrases it, a "step back."

But to Rivera, 62, that "step back" could simply be in job responsibilities, as he says he has "several opportunities right now. I just want to make sure it's the right one."

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera pregame against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

So a "step back" does not necessarily mean taking a year off, as many others in his situation have done. It does quite possibly mean staying in the NFL but taking a job as a defensive coordinator, a position he last held in 2010.

"Sometimes you do have to take a step back," Rivera said via ESPN. "You take a step back you learn and grow from it. It's like I told other players, if you look at this year as a lost year, you're [hurting] yourself. You should look at it as a year to learn and understand why things happen."

Why did Washington's failed season happen? Ultimately, of course, the guy in charge takes the fall - especially when new ownership enters the picture, as is the case with Josh Harris.

Rivera was a big winner as a head coach in Carolina, as he had a 76-63-1 record and a Super Bowl berth from 2011-2019. His time with Washington meant winning just 26 out of 67 games.

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And yet, Rivera insists he learned from it - in the "greatest" way.

"This was probably the greatest learning experience I've had in a while this year," Rivera said. "I mean, a lot of things came to light at certain times this past season that I think going forward will really help me."