Eagles Rumors: Ron Rivera Eyed for DC Job After Commanders Firing, Matt Patricia Exit
January 22, 2024
After being fired as head coach of the Washington Commanders, Ron Rivera is reportedly in the running for a different role with a rival team.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Rivera is set to interview with the Philadelphia Eagles for their defensive coordinator opening after the team recently parted ways with Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni let go of Desai, who served as the team's defensive coordinator but lost play-calling duties late in the season. Patricia, who signed a one-year deal to be a senior defensive assistant and took over the play-calling from Desai, didn't have his contract renewed at the end of the year.
The Eagles defense played a significant part in their late-season collapse that saw them lose five of their last six games after starting the year with a 10-1 record. Philadelphia ranked 26th in the NFL with 356.1 yards allowed per game, but the team's struggles reached new heights late in the year.
According to CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr, the Eagles ranked last in the NFL in third-down defense (54.8 percent) and red zone defense (78.3 percent) while allowing league highs of 428.2 yards and 297.8 passing yards over Desai's last six games as the defensive play-caller.
Patricia took over for the last four games of the season and Philadelphia's NFC Wild Card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the team didn't fare much better. The Eagles suffered a 32-9 loss to the Bucs as they were quickly bounced from the postseason.
Rivera is coming off a difficult run as head coach of the Commanders in which the team failed to achieve a winning season in four years. However, the last time he was a defensive coordinator was with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2010, and the team led the league in total defense that year.
If Rivera proves himself to be an upgrade over Desai and Patricia, it will be interesting to see him partner with Sirianni after they spent the last few years on opposing sidelines.