Commanders' Ron Rivera Feeling Hot Seat: 'I Could Be Gone in a Year'

Ron Rivera has a 22-27-1 record in three seasons with the Washington Commanders.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 4, 2023

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Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera is entering the fourth season of a five-year deal, but the 61-year-old believes that the 2023 season could be his last in the nation's capital.

"I could be gone in a year. That's football," Rivera told The Washington Times . "I understand that. But what I want to do, is when I leave, I want everybody to go and say, 'Boy the roster's in a good place.' … That's great. I want to walk away saying that's what I did. I'm good with it. I understand it."

After failing to finish above .500 in each of his first three seasons and a new owner looming in the shadows, Rivera is aware that whoever Dan Snyder sells the team to could be looking to replace him with his own choice for head coach.

Rivera has also improved the roster in each year during his tenure, but in 2023, he's taking a big risk by rolling the dice with Sam Howell at quarterback. Should the Commanders fail to live up to expectations, the finger will be pointed at Rivera for his lack of judgment at the quarterback position.

In 2022, Rivera chose to start Carson Wentz over Taylor Heinicke in the penultimate game of the season, a decision that proved costly as the Commanders lost at home with their playoff destiny in their hands.

Should Rivera make similar misjudgments, he really could be gone in a year.

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Published Apr 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.