Ron Rivera acknowledges he has "a lot to prove" to ownership

Ron Rivera is 22-27-1 in three seasons as Washington's head coach. He has not had a winning record, though the team won the division and made the playoffs with a 7-9 record in 2020.

With the team under new ownership, Rivera knows he's under pressure to show new boss Josh Harris he is the right coach for the job long term.

“I’ve got a lot to prove because I really do think we’ve put ourselves in a really good position,” Rivera said Tuesday, via Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. “We’re a good, young football team with some key veterans at key positions, and now is the opportunity to go. And, yeah, I do feel that I do want to prove some stuff.”

Rivera is in a familiar position.

He was with the Panthers in 2018 when David Tepper became the team's owner. Rivera, who had earned the benefit of the doubt with a Super Bowl appearance in 2015, was fired during the 2019 season.

This has the feel of a must-win season for Rivera, and he knows it.

“We’ve been too close the last couple of years,” Rivera said. “We get into a really good run. It’s time now to sustain it and just proving that these are the guys; these are the coaches; that I’m the right guy to help this organization continue to go forward.”

At his introductory news conference, Harris called it a "big season." Rivera said he appreciates how "forward" Harris was about a winning mandate.

Harris will attend the first practice of training camp Wednesday and has a meeting scheduled with Rivera afterward.

One thing that should help Rivera: With Dan Snyder out of the picture, Rivera no longer has to serve as the face of the franchise. He instead can concentrate on coaching.

“I’ll be around a little bit more,” Rivera said.