Commanders HC Ron Rivera: ‘I Could Be Gone in a Year, That’s Football’

Ron Rivera knows his seat is warming in Washington, but the Commanders head coach is not going to panic.

“I could be gone in a year. That’s football,” Rivera told Matthew Paras of 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.

“I’m not going to be desperate. I’m not. Because when you’re desperate, you make bad decisions.”

Rivera is 22-27-1 over his three seasons with the Commanders. While the team has won at least seven games each year, Washington has also not won more than eight.

The Commanders have had major issues at quarterback throughout Rivera’s tenure, having gone through several starting signal-callers. He’ll have another different quarterback at the helm in 2023, with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett sitting atop the depth chart.

Howell, a 2022 fifth-round selection, is considered the favorite to win the starting job.

“If we took all that tape and we put it all together, I think people would sit there and say, ‘Wow, this guy’s pretty damn good,'” Rivera said of Howell. “I really believe that. And if we have to do that to do a presentation with a (new) ownership, I’d be happy to.”

Washington’s ownership situation may be the thing most impacting Rivera’s future. Commanders owner Dan Snyder is in the process of exploring a sale, and it’s possible—if not likely—the new ownership group will want its own head coach and general manager in place.

While Snyder is largely reviled among Commanders fans following investigations regarding workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment, and possible financial improprieties, Rivera complimented the soon-to-be-former owner on how he’s handled his coaching tenure.

“He gave me the autonomy,” Rivera said, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. “He let me do the things that I wanted to do. He gave me the resources. … He didn’t lie to me. OK, let’s be honest about that.”

Assuming a sale is done ahead of the 2023 season, Rivera and Co. will get a one-year audition to prove they’re worth keeping around.