General manager Martin Mayhew's status is also in question, sources say, although that decision may not be made immediately.
Expect commanders to explore a modified front office structure more similar to other sports, with a president of football operations overseeing the head coach and GM. Eugene Shen, who was hired as senior vice president of soccer strategy in October, oversees analytics and software for the soccer division and will remain part of the executive team going forward. If commanders do indeed hire one person in charge of the entire operation, that person would likely be tasked with making decisions about those currently in the building – including Mayhew. There will also likely be other front office moves aimed at strengthening their situation.
Harris will, among other things, lead the search for her successors. He has shown a penchant for attracting and hiring key personnel, including bringing Nick Nurse and Daryl Morey to the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and Lindy Ruf and Tom Fitzgerald to the NHL's New Jersey Devils.
Rivera, who turns 62 on Sunday, led the Commanders to the playoffs in his first season in 2020, albeit with a 7-9 record. Before this year's troubles, Washington was 7-10 in 2021 and 8-8-1 in 2022. In 13 years as a head coach at Washington and Carolina, Rivera has three winning seasons – including 15-1 in 2015 with a run to Super Bowl 50 with NFL MVP Cam Newton and the Panthers – and is exactly .500 overall 102- 102-2 record.
Rivera also served as the Commanders' de facto spokesman amid a series of controversies surrounding former owner Dan Snyder, who last year agreed to sell the team to Harris after months of speculation about other NFL owners removing him could, which would have required a three-fourth vote from ownership (24 of 32 votes).
When asked about his tenure as commander on Jan. 2, Rivera said, “Well, I would like to think we're in a better place. That's probably a fair way to put it. I definitely appreciate my time here, and we'll see what happens.