Rivera out as Commanders coach

Commanders ownership has already started the process of finding the team’s next head of football operations and coach to replace Ron Rivera, a process that could include the University of Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, among many others.

The team is interested in speaking with Harbaugh, according to a person with knowledge of the search committee’s thinking. The person said the Commanders have also requested to talk to a handful of assistant general managers, including Philadelphia’s

Alec Halaby and Kansas City’s Mike Borgonzi and reached out to Baltimore about defensive line/assistant head coach Anthony Weaver.

Another person with knowledge of the move told the AP the Cleveland Browns have granted permission to speak with assistant GM Glenn Cook .A third person said Washington requested to talk to San Francisco assistant GM Adam Peters.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the team hasn’t publicized its list of potential candidates.

“I don’t think we want to get into specifics around the process, but we’ve been thinking about who the best candidates are,” controlling owner Josh Harris said at a news conference after firing Rivera. “And I think it’s an attractive destination.”

Harbaugh, who coached Michigan to the national title Monday night, has been rumored to be mulling a return to the NFL. He spent four seasons with the 49ers from 2011-14, making the playoffs three times and reaching the Super Bowl once.

Harris would like to make separate hires to run the front office and coach the team, but did not rule out one person doing the two jobs as Rivera did.

Longtime NBA executive Bob Myers and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman will assist Harris and co-owners Magic Johnson, Mitch Rales, and David Blitzer in the search processes.

The fourth and final season under Rivera finished with eight consecutive losses and a 4-13 record. If Rivera does not get another head coaching job in the league, he’ll finish exactly one game under .500 at 102-103. He went 26-40-1 with Washington, including one playoff appearance in 2020 for finishing atop the NFC East at 7-9 and never having a winning season.

“We did win an NFC East title in 2020, but we fell short since then, and for that, I am truly disappointed,” Rivera said in a statement released by the team. “It wasn’t easy and there is a lot more to be done, but I believe we began to change the culture of this organization in meaningful ways.”

Rodgers focuses past ’24

Aaron Rodgers is focused on coming back strong next season for the Jets. And, he hopes, beyond.

The 40-year-old quarterback acknowledged he first thought he could be one and done after he was traded to New York last April. But thoughts of staying for multiple seasons were sparked as he began having fun “and kind of falling back in love with the game.” Then came the torn left Achilles’ tendon that sabotaged his season — and the Jets’ hopes — just four snaps into his debut.

“And then it gets taken away,” Rodgers said. “So this is not a one year (thing) in my mind. I mean, obviously, it’s a what have you done for me lately? And I’m going to have to go out and prove I can still play at a high level. But I’d like this to be more than just next year.”

So do the Jets, who finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year — the longest active drought among the major North American professional sports leagues.

“It kind of hit me [Sunday] night after the game, just feeling like a lost year,” Rodgers said. “And that I missed out on obviously a lot of opportunities, just thinking if I’d had been out there, things would have been a little different.”

Falcons fire Smith

Arthur Smith was back at the Falcons’ practice facility for a final meeting with his players after he was fired late Sunday night.

Smith had the support of the players but that was not enough to overcome a third consecutive 7-10 finish. The coaching change was announced at midnight, so his meeting was an opportunity to say goodbye.

Back-to-back lopsided losses to Chicago and New Orleans capped a disappointing 1-4 finish and left Atlanta with six consecutive losing seasons.

“I’ve been in this game a long time so I knew it was a possibility, but I was hopeful,” said defensive end Calais Campbell, 37, following his 16th season. “I really respect coach Smith. He’s such a good guy.”

Another veteran defensive lineman, Grady Jarrett, said he was “a little bit” surprised to learn Smith had been fired. “Only because it was like midnight or whatever,” Jarrett said. “You never know what to expect.”

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said at a news conference to discuss the firing he has “nothing but appreciation” for Smith but added “I feel pained by the decision but I actually feel at peace, truly at peace. We definitely underachieved this year . . . by a lot.”

Blank and CEO Rich McKay conducted the news conference without GM Terry Fontenot, prompting repeated questions about his role. Blank said both Smith and Fontenot answered to McKay and he expects the new coach also will not report to Fontenot.

Panthers boot GM

The Panthers now need a head coach and a general manager. Carolina announced it fired GM Scott Fitterer one day after the team finished with an NFL-worst 2-15 record.

“As we move forward with the new direction for our franchise, I have made the decision that Scott Fitterer will no longer serve as our general manager,” Panthers owner David Tepper said in statement. “I appreciate Scott’s efforts and wish the best for him and his family.”

Fitterer joined the team in 2021 and the Panthers have gone 14-37 since. Tepper previously fired head coach Frank Reich just 11 games into his first season after the team started 1-10.

Chris Tabor finished the season as interim coach after starting it as special teams coordinator.

Fitterer orchestrated a trade with the Bears last year that allowed the Panthers to move to the No. 1 spot to get quarterback Bryce Young in exchange for wide receiver D.J. Moore and four draft picks — one of them that turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.

That move hasn’t worked out well for the Panthers and has been widely criticized, particularly given the success of No. 2 overall pick and rookie of the year candidate C.J. Stroud, who has the Texans headed to the playoffs in his first season.

Fitterer also swung a midseason trade in 2022 that sent the team’s best player, running back Christian McCaffrey, to the 49ers in exchange for draft picks, but none of them in the first round.

Giants cut four assistants

Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins were fired, a day after the team finished a 6-11 season.

Coach Brian Daboll announced his decision to dismiss McGaughey and Johnson at the start of a postseason news conference. The Wilkins brothers were fired later in the day.

Daboll said offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale would be back. However, multiple media outlets reported later Monday that Martindale resigned to pursue other interests. General manager Joe Schoen said he had not heard from Martindale.

Running backs coach Jeff Nixon is leaving to become the offensive coordinator at Syracuse. Daboll said Nixon wants to become a college head coach.

Jaguars empty D- staff

Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and seven of his assistants ended up taking the fall for the biggest late-season collapse in Jaguars history.

Coach Doug Pederson fired Caldwell and the others a day after a loss at Tennessee that knocked the 9-8 Jaguars out of the playoffs. Jacksonville was 8-3 in late November and had been atop the AFC South since Week 3.

Also relieved of their duties: D-line coach Brentson Buckner, linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm, senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton, cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend, and quality control assistants Sean Cullina and Tee Mitchell.