After a year away from the game, Riverboat Ron is looking to push his chips to the middle of the table once again.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday that according to sources, Ron Rivera is scheduled to interview with the Jets for their head coaching job this week.
Rivera is 102-103-2 in 13 seasons as an NFL head coach in Carolina and Washington, but after leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record, a third straight NFC South title, and Super Bowl 50 appearance in 2015, he has had just one winning season since.
Ron was 26-40-1 in four seasons here, with one NFC East crown (the vaunted 7-9 season in 2020) but only 10 of his 33 draft picks over four selection sessions are still in DC, where this year’s Commanders enter the 2024 season finale 11-5 and headed to the playoffs.
This is the first year since 1997, when he joined the Bears’ staff as an assistant, that Rivera has had a full year out of football. He was fired by the Panthers after starting 5-7 in 2019, but came to Washington the next season. He has been working as an analyst for ESPN and other outlets this season.
The Jets fell to 4-12, one loss shy of Rivera’s final record in DC, on Sunday with a 40-14 loss to the Bills where Aaron Rodgers benched himself in the fourth quarter. The team is searching for a new head coach after firing Robert Saleh in October; they also fired GM Joe Douglas in November, and are 2-9 under former defensive coordinator turned interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.