Commanders News: Ron Rivera, staff changes, Josh Harris and Sam Howell
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines with one day remaining until their game against the New York Giants?
Things are hanging precariously for the Washington Commanders through the first 10 games of the 2023 season. Their long-awaited bye week is now in sight, but there are some stern challenges to overcome before that - including the team's attempts to finally get a divisional win this Sunday against an under-strength New York Giants.
Nothing less than a convincing victory will suffice. Until then, the stories causing conversation include Ron Rivera speaking openly about his job status, the Commanders' growing with Sam Howell, the prospect of staffing changes and why they haven't been implemented up to now, and Josh Harris taking things step by step.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders owner Josh Harris taking things slowly
Josh Harris and his team of ownership investors have already begun to make a huge mark on the Washington Commanders. The primary focus early on was improving things for a beleaguered fanbase, but it's quickly turning to football-related matters in pursuit of getting this storied franchise back among the contenders.
This isn't and wasn't going to happen overnight. Harris acknowledged that the bar wasn't exactly high after Dan Snyder's mismanagement, but the billionaire stated via the Sports Business Journal he plans to raise the stakes almost constantly in pursuit of progression.
"The city’s responding, but to be fair, it’s responding off a low base. In order to keep it going, we need to up our game pretty much every step of the way. The Commanders are very important to my family and therefore the resources that I have here, which are substantial, I’m taking a bunch of those resources and saying, ‘focus on this'. I’m hoping that over time, as people understand my cadence and expectations, that it’ll get a lot easier, but I think it’s natural that it’s not there yet three months after we start."
- Josh Harris via SBJ
It's been a breath of fresh air without Snyder, even if results on the field remain inconsistent. With Harris' ownership team at the helm, there is at least genuine hope things can start getting better on and off the field.