Opinion: Firing Rivera Right Move but Feels Wrong
The Washington Commanders fired Ron Rivera as a part of the NFL’s infamous Black Monday. Rivera’s tenure in DC was one he managed with a level of class and dignity that few could manage. He guided a franchise that had dealt with decades of bullshit from its owner through one of the most tumultuous periods of Dan Snyder’s tenure, coming out relatively unscathed on the other side.
I remember my first reaction to Ron’s hiring being, “holy shit, how did we pull that off?” I wasn’t used to that sort of move by the franchise. A coach who had been to a Super Bowl, had the perception of a good tenure while in Carolina (his actual record showed otherwise), and had a certain level of gravitas around him that I didn’t expect the franchise to bring in. Dan Snyder was known for always making the wrong decision as he sunk the franchise into deeper levels of irrelevancy with each passing year. Rivera seemed like such an out of character hire for Snyder that I actually thought things were beginning to turn around.
Unfortunately, I was mistaken in my assessment of the hire, and Rivera could never really get the team off the mat. How could he though? His first season had him guiding the franchise through COVID changes and his own cancer diagnosis. Even the most stable of organization’s would find it difficult to maintain a level of stability in the midst of all of that. He then had to deal with (and partially contributed to) the ever-spinning carousel of quarterbacks the team has gone through over the years. Hell, even this year he looked like he had the long-term answer in Sam Howell, but many people are (stupidly) calling for him to be replaced.
It was a rough time, with many factors outside of the Head Coach’s control. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t time to make the move though. Rivera was ultimately going to be a bridge between the Snyder and Josh Harris eras. Fans knew he was living on borrowed time as soon as Snyder signed on the dotted line to sell the team; most of them wanted him gone because he was a reminder of the past which everyone wanted to forget. Even so, he maintained an air of dignity about him, even if there were some moments that demonstrated some levels of professional incompetence.
Letting Rivera go feels similar to a mercy killing. The team never got going in the right direction, had gone through all kinds of upheaval including two name changes, and it’s time to move on from “soft reset” to “hard reset.” I will always respect Ron Rivera for the steaming pile of dog shit he had to work through while in town, but it’s better for everyone involved if he’s no longer the coach here. However, just because it’s obvious, doesn’t mean it feels good. A lot of fans are dancing and celebrating the firing. Personally, I’ll be feeling a sense of relief, but sorrow that a man who guided a sinking ship to a brighter future will never get the credit he deserves just because of his poor win/loss record.
Ron Rivera was the steadying force the franchise needed. I hope the next person will be able to build a winning culture and reestablish the relevancy the franchise used to have. If they are able to do so, it will due in large part to the foundation laid by Rivera.
