Didn’t have this on my bingo card to begin 2024. Former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers will spearhead the Washington Commanders’ search for a new head coach and head of football operations now that they’ve made the widely-expected move to fire Ron Rivera.
There were lots of obstacles for Rivera in Washington for sure. Not having a franchise quarterback and being a defensive-minded head coach is kind of a double whammy in the modern NFL. Combine that with a toxic, hot mess of an ex-owner in Dan Snyder, and the deck was substantially stacked against Riverboat Ron from the start of his tenure.
This might be the end of Rivera’s coaching career. He could maybe join a young, rising offensive head coach as the seasoned veteran defensive coordinator who can flourish in that role. Could be a revitalizing move, even if it means he never gets a shot at another head coaching gig. We’ve seen old heads like Wade Phillips join forces with Sean McVay, and this year, Vic Fangio teamed with Mike McDaniel in Miami. Otherwise, perhaps it’s time for the 62-year-old Rivera to ride off into the sunset of retirement or TV work.
OK, as for the Bob Myers-related implications of this whole thing. It’d be pretty dope if Myers helps orchestrate a massive turnaround for the Commanders. Killing it that hard at the highest level of America’s two most popular professional sports — wait, are we still pretending baseball is No. 2? — would be quite the legacy.
Big ups to new Commanders owner Josh Harris for thinking a little outside the box. This doesn’t strike me a a cutesy Browns-esque Paul DePodesta Moneyball play in the front office. This actually seems smart. Myers has actually won championships and sh*t.
For all the excuses I made for Rivera before, it does feel like the game has passed him by. The team was stuck in neutral for most of his tenure. This season, Washington finished 4-13 after a 2-0 start. I don’t even know how you do that. Kind of impressive tanking. Now? We’ll likely see an offense-savvy Commanders head coach who’ll enter the 2024 NFL Draft in lockstep with a new personnel guy and the No. 2 overall pick. Assuming Caleb Williams is the first pick, the new regime would have its choice of Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and even Michael Penix Jr.
The draft is months away, but whomever is in charge in Washington has a massive decision to make in late April.
