It has been a month since head coach Ron Rivera dismissed offensive coordinator Scott Turner and the Washington Commanders have yet to find a replacement.
Of course, that is not to say Rivera has not been a very busy boss interviewing candidates with a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels to be the next leader of the offense.
Rivera has interviewed: Miami Dolphins assistant head coach Eric Studesville, Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach and tight ends coach Thomas Brown, Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London, former Cleveland Browns and New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, current Commanders QB coach Ken Zampese, and San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach and running backs coach Anthony Lynn.
And there is one person still out there who Rivera has not spoken to because he is a little busy preparing for the Super Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Speaking to the team’s media arm, Riviera confirmed on Wednesday he is waiting for the Super Bowl to wrap so he can interview one more candidate.
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“Well, where we are right now is we’re in a little bit of a hold pattern right now,” Rivera told Julie Donaldson.
“I’ve talked to a number of coaches and I’ve interviewed six of them specifically in person,” he said. “I am waiting for somebody that’s in this game this weekend and once we get past that game we’ll get an opportunity to, hopefully, visit very quickly, get an opportunity to interview.
“And then, take a step back and make a decision.”
While Rivera did not name Bieniemy, it appears Rivera does not want to make any decision before speaking to him. Does that make him the de facto front-runner for the position? (And it sounds like former Ravens OC Greg Roman is not a candidate for the job in Washington.)
Now, Bieniemy has agency in all of this. He will have to agree to take an interview for what would be a lateral move in job title, but this job would come with the added responsibility of calling his own plays and designing the offense. (Paying big money could help and it might take that.) But with the Indianapolis Colts still looking for a head coach, he could be off the market before Rivera can make his pitch.
In the meantime, Rivera waits in the desert of Arizona, presumably by a tree, we shall see if Bieniemy ever enters the stage.
Follow @BenKrimmel and @Team980 for more.
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