WASHINGTON — It's official — Ron Rivera's time with the Commanders' has come to an end.
He has had a turbulent time since taking over as head coach in 2020. In his first year, Rivera led the team to the playoffs, with a 7-9 record, while juggling how to coach a team during the COVID-19 pandemic, a cancer diagnosis and three different quarterbacks.
Rivera let go of quarterback Dwayne Haskins in December 2020, due to several issues on and off the field. The release happened one week after Haskins was seen at his girlfriend's birthday party not wearing a mask. He was fined $40,000 for breaching COVID protocols.
Haskins, from Potomac, Maryland, was killed in a traffic crash in Florida in April 2022.
In 2021, Ryan Fitzpatrick was tapped as Washington's quarterback, but was injured on the field during the first game, and was out for the rest of the season. Up-and-comer Taylor Heinicke took over, leading the team to a 7-10 finish.
The next year, Carson Wentz took over as quarterback. After a disappointing 2-4 start for the team, Heinicke was brought back under center. Needing to win their final two games to get back into the playoffs, Rivera chose to go back to Wentz. They lost.
The Washington franchise finished with a 8-8-1 record that season. Rivera didn't realize at first that the team had been eliminated from playoff contention.
His 2022 campaign was equally disappointing. A promising 2-0 start seems a distant memory as they Commanders finished the season with only two more wins, and a final record of 4-13.
Through his tenure, Rivera racked up a mere 26 wins, plus the playoff appearance in 2020.
But he had some wins, albeit off the field. Rivera oversaw major changes to the Commanders throughout his time. He helped change the culture in the locker room for the better. He also navigated a controversial name change for the team.
But a coach is allowed to keep their job based on wins and losses. The man known as Riverboat Ron will sail into the sunset with a final record in Washington of 26-40-1.
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