One week after getting fired, former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera provided his perspective about what went wrong. Speaking to John Keim of ESPN, Rivera highlighted his regret about how he handled the quarterback situation with Sam Howell.
Despite sitting on the proverbial hot seat at the start of this season, Rivera put his tenure in the hands of the unproven Howell. Howell was a fifth-round draft pick the previous year, and his only NFL experience was a Week 18 start against the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie.
“I took a big gamble,” Rivera said. “I put a lot on Sam, and I probably shouldn’t have put as much pressure on him, and I think that was probably one of the mistakes I made this year. He didn’t deserve to have that put on him. He’s a good young quarterback, has some talent and some ability, and I think that’s something I should have backed off on.
I should have kept emphasizing he was going to be the guy that got the first opportunity. …. Just phrasing it that way would’ve taken a lot of pressure off of him, just kind of that he hadn’t been anointed.”
Sam Howell threw for 3,964 yards and 21 touchdowns. However, he led the NFL with 21 interceptions and getting sacked 65 times. Howell’s struggles outweighed his flashes. His having the once-revered Eric Bieniemy as his offensive coordinator didn’t help.
The Commanders finished the season with a 4-13 record.
Rivera arrived in Washington in 2020 hoping to figure out the quarterback situation, starting with the late Dwayne Haskins. Rivera played musical chair, going through ten different quarterbacks in four years.
After moving on from Haskins, Rivera danced with aging veterans such as Carson Wentz and Ryan Fitzpatrick. He also rekindled the career of limited-passer Taylor Heinicke.
With three lackluster seasons completed, Rivera came into the 2023 season with shaky job security. His decision to turn to Howell in a make-or-break year puzzled many.
The irony is Rivera waited until his final season to try to hinge on the development of a young quarterback — not the best way to impress incoming new team owner Josh Harris.
Washington signed veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett to mentor Howell. As the season went south, it was apparent Howell couldn’t save Rivera’s job. It didn’t help that Brissett outperformed the young QB whenever called upon. It wasn’t until the season became lost in Week 17 that Rivera tried to turn to Brissett. Yet, a hamstring injury thrust Howell back as the starter.
He became the first Washington QB since Kirk Cousins in 2017 to start every game in a season. There’s enough blame for everyone, but Rivera’s failure to read the room ultimately led to his dismissal.
