Why Commanders Coach Rivera Has 'Weight Off His Shoulders'

The Washington Commanders ownership change has taken pressure off head coach Ron Rivera.

Few people have been under more pressure than Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera.

Along with being the head coach, Rivera often found himself being the adult in the room and answering for the organization about things that were out of his control when Dan Snyder owned the franchise.

With Snyder out of the picture and Josh Harris in the fold as the new owner, football can be Rivera's only focus this season. The impact of him only having to worry about the product on the field has been noticed by quarterback Sam Howell.

"You can just kind of see there is kind of a weight off his shoulders, where he can just come out here and coach ball and that's what he loves to do. So yeah, I definitely think you can see it," Howell said.

Rivera's primary focus being on the football team is a promising sign for the Commanders. It's tough enough to win as it is in the NFL. It's nearly impossible for a coach to lead their team and be the organization's spokesperson for all of the mishaps that happened, most of which preceded him.

The Commanders are 22-27-1 in three seasons and have made the playoffs once under Rivera. Washington hasn’t made postseason in back-to-back seasons and haven't finished over .500 since 2016.

With Harris now running the team, Rivera can finally focus on the one thing he was brought to Washington to do, which is coach. That doesn't escape him from the pressure of relying on a second-year quarterback and trying to avoid missing the playoffs for a third straight season. But Rivera being able to do what "he loves to do" should have himself and Washington set up better than they've ever been in his tenure.

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