Pressure on Commanders owner Josh Harris?
It's been a tremendous honeymoon for Josh Harris' ownership group since their record-breaking $6.05 billion purchase of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder became official. The atmosphere around the franchise has completely rejuvenated, with a concise plan for the future and plenty of investment to improve fan experience in the short term.
Harris kept the status quo for those in positions of power, which was expected given the short timeframe before Week 1 and the need to properly evaluate everything. This all starts with head coach Ron Rivera heading into a critical fourth season at the helm.
There's no doubt Rivera's seat is scolding hot after moderate success over the last three years. If the Commanders don't demonstrate the necessary growth, Anthony Licciardi of Sports Illustrated expects the pressure on Harris to grow exponentially en route to making landmark changes.
"Owner Josh Harris has made it a priority to usher in a new era of Washington Commanders football. How he evaluates his coaching staff could go a long way towards delivering on those promises. There is an inherent pressure for Harris to put his fingerprints on the organization. It’s started with FedEx Field upgrades and a sense of stability that the organization has missed. With a perceived budding head coach already on staff, a slow start to the season could spell the end of [Ron] Rivera’s tenure in Washington. Rivera will have the headset on for the Commanders’ Week 1 affair against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday."Anthony Licciardi, Sports Illustrated
All relationships got off on the right foot and there seems to be genuine cohesion between ownership and coaches for the first time in decades. But all it'll take is a rough opening to change that in an instant.