Commanders fire Rivera, Falcons part with Smith
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders fired coach Ron Rivera on Monday, the first move of many expected by new owners as they put their stamp on the NFL franchise they bought last year.
The decision came a day after the Commanders' season-ending 38-10 home loss to division-rival Dallas.
“As we look ahead, we recognize the results this season were not good enough and a strategic shift in leadership and approach is necessary,” controlling owner Josh Harris said in a statement.
Harris said he has asked co-owners Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer as well as former NBA executive Bob Myers and ex-Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman to work with him in the searches for a head of football personnel and coach. After Dan Snyder hired Rivera four years ago to do both jobs, ownership is now splitting those responsibilities.
ATLANTA — Arthur Smith, who inherited a rebuilding project in his first NFL head coaching job and failed to lift Atlanta
from its playoff drought, was fired late Sunday night, hours after completing his third straight losing season with the Falcons.
Smith, the 41-year-old son of FedEx founder Fred Smith, finished with a record of 21-30. He went 7-10 each year.
Smith was dismissed after a 48-17 loss at New Orleans — the secondworst setback of his tenure, topped only by a 43-3 rout at Dallas in 2021. The Falcons dropped four of their last five games and were blown out in Smith's final two contests, losing 37-17 at Chicago a week ago.
The Falcons have posted six straight losing seasons since their last playoff appearance in 2017.
After the team arrived back in Atlanta, Smith met with owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bill Belichick is open to letting someone else handle personnel duties if he remains with the New England Patriots.
The Patriots coach also confirmed Monday during his season-ending news conference that he remains under contract, though he didn't specify the length of its current terms.
New England's 17-3 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday cemented a 4-13 record for the Patriots, Belichick's worst record in his 29-year NFL head coaching career. It's left his status for next season up in the air as he prepares to meet with team owner Robert Kraft about his future. That meeting was expected to take place this week, possibly as early as today.
“I'm for whatever collectively we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” Belichick said during Monday's video conference. “I'm under contract. I'm going to do what I always do, which is every day I come in, work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can. So that's what I'm going to continue to do.”
The details of Belichick's contract have never been released publicly.
As to possibly giving up his role as the team's de facto general manager with final call on personnel matters, the 71-year-old Belichick said he is flexible if it benefits the organization.