WASHINGTON — Ron Rivera has coached his last game as the leader of the Washington Commanders. The team first confirmed with WUSA9 that Rivera was relieved of his duties on Monday morning. In his statement, Rivera thanked fans, coaches and leadership for the opportunity to coach the franchise during a turbulent few years, beginning in 2020.
"I want every Washington fan to know how much I appreciate your unwavering support," Rivera said. "Through all the name changes, roster moves, non-football headlines and seasons that did not meet your expectations, you still stood by this team. We did win an NFC East title in 2020, but we fell short since then, and for that I am truly disappointed. You are loyal, passionate fans and I only see good things ahead for you all," Rivera said in a statement.
He thanked leadership as well, calling Josh Harris a "great steward" for the Commanders.
"Thank you to Josh Harris and his partnership group for the past five and a half months. I enjoyed working with you and I deeply appreciated the engagement and support you gave me and the team throughout the season," he said. "You have already shown the fans your full commitment to rebuilding this franchise and renewing the unshakable bonds between this team and the entire Washington community."
He also took a moment in his statement to thank the players and coaches he worked with while in Washington.
"I'm going to miss the players and coaches more than I can express," he said. "To the coaches, thank you for your hard work and 24/7 commitment to this team."
It is not clear yet what the next step is for Rivera, who previously served as head coach of the Carolina Panthers before coming to Washington.
"My life has always been football and it is a wonderful life. As a player, and now as a coach, I've watched in amazement every week as the impossible is done again and again on the field. I have tremendous respect for the NFL because of all that it does to lift communities and bring people together," Rivera said.
In closing, he summed up his tenure as head coach with a personal note.
"It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to serve this franchise and those who cheer it on every week."
His full statement is below: