Black Monday arrives with the NFL regular season coming to a close. GMs, coordinators, and coaches are always on the lookout since they frequently find themselves out of a job.
The NFL head coaches are facing the possibility of losing their jobs, and the Atlanta Falcons took the first action. Arthur Smith, the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, was sacked, the team said.
For the third consecutive season, Smith led the Falcons to a 7-10 finish, but his overall record as head coach was 21-30 and he never made it to the playoffs. Everyone was expecting this firing, which was evident.
A few hours later, the Washington Commanders took the following action, dismissing Ron Rivera.
The team’s new owners are putting their stamp on the franchise they bought last year, and Rivera’s termination by the Commanders is the first of many anticipated actions.
More coaching changes: the Washington Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera, per league sources. pic.twitter.com/4Ri6NQsNLv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2024
The Falcons used a top-10 pick on an offensive weapon in each year with Arthur Smith, selecting TE Kyle Pitts at No. 4 in 2021, Drake London at No. 8 in 2022, and Bijan Robinson at No. 8 in 2023. Atlanta finished with a 7-10 record each season. https://t.co/yUEBFke7Dr pic.twitter.com/XkB67Rvlad
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2024
Rivera’s overall record as the Commanders’ head coach was 26-40-1 at the end of his stint. With a 7-9 record in Rivera’s debut season, the Commanders captured the NFC East; since then, they have failed to achieve a winning record.
The team is in dire need of reform because it hasn’t finished above.500 since 2006 and hasn’t won ten games since 2012.
