The New York Jets season did not go as planned. After a promising start, the team lost five straight and never recovered. Throughout the losing streak, the Jets started getting rid of key leadership members. Head coach Robert Saleh was fired in October, and general manager Joe Douglas was relieved of his duties a few weeks later. There is immense pressure to get the right head coach in the building. There is plenty of talent, but the team lacks a strong locker room presence. Many names have been thrown out, but reports indicate that the team is set to interview former Panthers and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera.
New York Jets Set To Interview Ron Rivera
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the New York Jets are set to interview the two-time Coach of the Year. Ron Rivera has had two head coaching stints in the NFL. He led the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2019, taking them to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2015 season. He was fired after week 13 in 2019. Rivera was quickly hired by the Commanders the next season, where he spent four years leading the team to a playoff berth in 2020. His contract was not renewed after the 2023 season.
His career record isn’t anything spectacular. At 102-103-2 career record, he is basically a .500 coach. While the Commanders made the playoffs in 2020, they did not have a winning record. Many credit Cam Newton’s brilliance for the Panthers 2015 season, not fabulous coaching. The fact that Rivera has been fired from two organizations apparently doesn’t scare the New York Jets.
Other Names In Consideration
Another name that has fans groaning is former New York Jets head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan. Doing due diligence is one thing but interviewing anybody who kind of knows football is another. Ryan had some success with the Jets, but it also ended in the team moving on. Bringing him back would be absolutely ridiculous but on brand for what the team has done over the past few decades. What this may highlight is how undesirable this job is.
Aaron Rodgers probably isn’t the answer at quarterback. After Sunday’s performance, it is hard to see how the New York Jets can bring him back. However, there are no great options waiting in the wings. There aren’t many good free-agent options (Sam Darnold isn’t coming back to the team), and the team doesn’t have a high enough draft pick to get a top guy in the class (unless they give up a king’s ransom). The roster has plenty of great young players, but there are rumors of frustration with the organization among them. Whoever comes in has a mess to clean up.
Final Thoughts
The New York Jets are most likely trying to interview everyone they can. They understand they need to get this right. However, Ron Rivera seems like a waste of time. It will be interesting to see if the interview goes anywhere or whether the team was trying to show their fans they are doing everything they can to build a winning team.
