4 Commanders on the hot seat entering Week 8 vs. Eagles

Ron Rivera - Commanders HC

Our final choice shouldn't shock you.

Just when it looked like Ron Rivera might be able to generate some decent momentum heading into the midseason point, another pathetic effort at the New York Giants piled additional pressure on his job prospects beyond the current campaign. And based on Josh Harris' decision to hire a highly respected analytics man behind the scenes, the wheels of change are officially in motion.

The significance of this hire won't go unnoticed by Rivera, who's had a big and often final say on all football matters since becoming head coach. That leeway might be lessening and if things don't start trending forward where results are concerned, there will be only one realistic outcome once the campaign concludes.

Rivera will fight right until the end, but a second capitulation in three weeks versus teams with almost no confidence beforehand was deeply concerning. Whether the figurehead is too stubborn or loyal to make the alterations needed over the second half of 2023 will go a long way to determining his future.

Nothing but maximum effort and supreme conviction will do against the Philadelphia Eagles. But in all honesty, even that might not be enough.

While it would be surprising to see Harris remove Rivera from the equation in-season, the possibility becomes more realistic once the Commanders are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. And the head coach knows that the clock is ticking.