ESPN: 'Sense' Commanders Willing to Be Patient with Ron Rivera amid Team's Struggles

The Washington Commanders are reportedly "willing to be patient" with head coach Ron Rivera amid the team's 1-3 start to the 2022 season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday the "sense" is the Commanders aren't going to rush to make a coaching change "barring a season that completely goes off the rails."

Rivera owns a 15-22 record amid his third year in Washington. The franchise reached the playoffs during his first season despite finishing with a 7-9 mark.

The Commanders opened 2022 with a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they've lost their last three contests by a combined score of 85-45. They sit at the bottom of the NFC East, with the other three teams in the division standing at 3-1 or better.

Yet, Rivera is being credited for guiding the organization through a period of instability, which has included a Congressional investigation into the franchise's alleged toxic workplace.

The 60-year-old California native is viewed as a "stable, face-of-the-franchise figure," which is buying him additional time to turn the team's fortunes around, per Fowler. The "heat will inevitably rise next season" if no progress is made, though.

As always, the toughest question to answer is how much blame a coach deserve when a team is struggling.

The Commanders' front office acquired quarterback Carson Wentz to fill the roster's biggest hole in the offseason, and he's turned the ball over six times (five interceptions and one fumble lost) in four games. It's hard to win that way.

Rivera said Monday, one day after a loss to the division rival Dallas Cowboys, it's important to "be realistic with what we have and what we're going to do."

"I understand everybody's frustration, especially how proud this organization is," Rivera told reporters. "S--t, this organization's got five championships. Are you f--king kidding me? I get it. I understand how important it is to win. Okay?"

He added: "There is a sense of urgency that these things have to happen. But they're not going to happen until everything is in place and is ready to happen."

It's a roundabout way of saying the Commanders don't have the roster necessary to seriously contend for a championship right now, and it's probably a fair assessment, though expectations were certainly higher than getting off to a 1-3 start.

For now, it sounds like the Commanders are willing to give Rivera the remainder of 2022 and potentially the early stages of 2023 to move back toward contention before he lands on the hot seat.

Next up for Washington is a clash with the Tennessee Titans (2-2) at FedEx Field on Sunday.