The firing of Chiefs G.M. John Dorsey, which came roughly an hour after the team announced an extension for coach Andy Reid, invited speculation that, at a minimum, Reid knew what was coming. In Carolina, coach Ron Rivera didn’t.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Rivera found out about the firing of G.M. Dave Gettleman on Monday morning, when owner Jerry Richardson told Rivera about the move.
And so Rivera, who some thought was in danger of being fired by Gettleman early in Gettleman’s time with the team, has outlived Gettleman. It’s unclear whether Rivera will emerge with more power; he has generated a regular-season record of 53-42-1 in six years on the job, and he was twice named the Associated Press coach of the year.
It’s hard to imagine Rivera being in any kind of jeopardy. Richardson hopes to emulate the Rooneys, whose Steelers have been a model of consistency and continuity for the last 50 years. Firing Gettleman represented a stunning break from that ideology. It would even more surprising for the next G.M. to make a change within the next few years, or for Richardson to let him.