Ron Rivera was fired Monday as coach of the Washington Commanders, a long-anticipated move new owners made as they put their stamp on the NFL franchise they bought last year.

It’s just the first of several changes coming to an organization that has won just two playoff games over the past three decades. The fourth and final season under Rivera finished with eight consecutive losses, a 4-13 record and a 38-10 home loss to division-rival Dallas with Washington’s home stadium full of Cowboys fans.

“Clearly, we weren’t good enough this year,” controlling owner Josh Harris said at a news conference at the team’s practice facility. “We didn’t get it done on the field, and so we’ve decided to go into a new direction.”

Rivera’s firing came as no surprise to anyone, including the veteran coach who went 26-40-1 with Washington – including one playoff appearance in 2020 for finishing atop an uncharacteristically weak NFC East at 7-9 – and never having a winning season.

If Rivera does not get another head coaching job in the league, he’ll finish exactly one game under .500 at 102-103-2 in the regular 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.”

Co-owners Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer and well as former NBA executive Bob Myers and ex-Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman will work with Harris in the searches for a head of football personnel and coach. After Dan Snyder hired Rivera four years ago to do both jobs, ownership is now expected to split those responsibilities, though Harris said he’d be flexible given the candidates available — a group that could include Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh.

FALCONS: Arthur Smith, who inherited a rebuilding project in his first NFL head coaching job and failed to lift Atlanta from its playoff drought, was fired late Sunday night, hours after completing his third straight losing season with the Falcons.

Smith, the 41-year-old son of FedEx founder Fred Smith, finished with a record of 21-30. He went 7-10 each year.

Smith was dismissed after a 48-17 loss at New Orleans – the second-worst setback of his tenure, topped only by a 43-3 rout at Dallas in 2021. The Falcons dropped four of their last five games and were blown out in Smith’s final two contests, losing 37-17 at Chicago a week ago.

The Falcons have posted six straight losing seasons since their last playoff appearance in 2017.

After the team arrived back in Atlanta, Smith met with owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay. The firing was announced shortly after midnight, the first of what is expected to be several coaching changes around the NFL on “Black Monday.”

PANTHERS: Carolina now needs a head coach and a general manager.

The Panthers announced they have 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.

GIANTS: New York fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, a day after the team finished a disappointing 6-11 season.

Coach Brian Daboll announced the decisions at the start of a postseason news conference. The second-year coach said offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will be back next season.

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

JETS: Aaron Rodgers is focused on coming back strong next season for New York.

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.