NFL Rumors: Ron Rivera unconcerned about job status with Commanders
The Washington Commanders entered Week 12 after a soul-crushing loss to the New York Giants and their third-string quarterback, Tommy DeVito. They were on short rest this week, as they played on Thanksgiving afternoon on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. Given how Washington had been competitive against teams not named the Giants this year, maybe they could pull off an upset.
Yeah, those hopes ended rather quickly, as Commanders fans opted to take a nap after dinner. Washington lost 45-10 to Dallas, as their offense couldn't capitalize on fourth down situations, while the defense gave up 431 total yards.
Head coach Ron Rivera was unconcerned about his job status while speaking with reporters after the game.
"I've told you before I'm not worried about anything," said Rivera, h/t ESPN's John Keim. "All I'm going to do is do my job and see how things go. That's the only thing I can do."
While Rivera was not worried about his job status, the Commanders did make some changes to the coaching staff less than 24 hours after their loss in Dallas. Multiple reports revealed the Commanders fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer. With Del Rio out, Rivera is expected to call plays for the defense moving forward.
Keim reports that Harris "has said he wants to give the staff a full season to better evaluate the entire operation."
Rivera joined the team back in 2020 after his firing from the Carolina Panthers midway through the 2019 season. His first season was his lone one with a record above .500. As of this writing, Rivera holds a 26-35-1 record in his four seasons in Washington.
While Rivera is unconcerned about his status with the team, he did opt to make changes with his defensive coaching staff for the rest of the season. From there, the fanbase will wonder what Harris decides to do regarding Rivera's head coaching status.
NFL Rumors: Aaron Rodgers planning return in 2024 despite Jets' dwindling playoff chances
The New York Jets were expected to make a run for the playoffs this season, but their chances took a hit four offensive plays into the season when quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles. This injury was supposed to knock him out for the remainder of the year, but a "speed-bridge" surgery with Dr. Neal ElAttrache has sped up the recovery time, with Rodgers expecting to return before the end of the season.
But in recent weeks, the Jets have fallen further out of the picture, as they are 4-6 entering Week 12 with a three-game losing streak. With that, fans and media members speculated whether Rodgers would even bother returning this season if the Jets' playoff chances are minimal.
FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported during the Thanksgiving Day program that this past week, Rodgers wanted to return to show that he came back from the injury faster than any quarterback, regardless of the team's playoff chances.
"I was told originally, look if they're out of playoff contention then Aaron's probably not going to try and come back. Well that changed this past week," said Glazer. "I think Aaron, even if they're out of it, still wants to show he was able to come back faster from that Achilles tear faster than pretty much any quarterback ever.
"What he needs to do right now, Aaron's not trying to say 'I need to show the old Aaron Rodgers, run all over the place. Just a nice little circle to keep myself out of harm's way.' Aaron Rodgers definitely trying to speed up when he comes back..."
As for when a return is possible, Rodgers said during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he would like to practice by his birthday, which falls on Saturday, Dec. 2. Of course, the team would have to open up his 21-day practice window to prepare for a return.
The Jets are currently looking to end their losing skid on Black Friday when they play the Miami Dolphins. The team is starting Tim Boyle at quarterback after demoting Zach Wilson to third string after last week's 32-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Veteran journeyman quarterback Trevor Siemian is set to be the primary backup behind Boyle on Friday.
NFL Rumors: Eagles waive former first-round pick Derek Barnett
The Philadelphia Eagles hold the best record in the entire NFL (9-1) after they came back to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 in Week 11. The team is in a prime position to win the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season. But there is one player who won't be making the trip back to the playoffs with them.
According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Eagles waived defensive end and former 2017 first-round pick Derek Barnett. Schefter reports that Barnett is expected to garner interest and will find a new team for the rest of the season.
Barnett's departure from the Eagles isn't necessarily shocking. Ahead of the 2023 season, Barnett requested a trade from the team, but nothing came to fruition, even by the Oct. 31 trade deadline. The reason for the trade request was so Barnett could play meaningful snaps on another team. Now, he gets that opportunity following his waiving.
This season, Barnett recorded three total tackles and two run stops on 99 total snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Those snaps were significantly fewer than fellow edge rushers Josh Sweat (501), Haason Reddick (489) and Brandon Graham (189).
The question that remains is where Barnett will spend the rest of the 2023 campaign. Will he be claimed off waivers? Or will Barnett have the chance to choose where he wants to play? We should get an answer in the coming days.