Redskins, Rivera agree to reported 5-year deal

The Washington Redskins confirmed the hiring of former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera on Wednesday. The 57-year-old, who will step into the same role in D.C., signed a five-year deal with the club, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Rivera is the first head coach hired in the 2019-20 cycle, taking over a Redskins team that finished 3-13 in 2019 and is slated to pick second overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Rivera is expected to target former Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio to serve as his defensive coordinator, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

An agreement between Washington and Rivera has appeared inevitable for several days, with reports surfacing before the end of the regular season that he and the Redskins shared mutual interest.

Rivera spent eight-plus seasons in Carolina, posting a 76-63-1 record while winning two Coach of the Year awards and leading the Panthers to an appearance in Super Bowl 50.

Carolina fired the defensive-minded leader 12 games into the 2019 season, and the Panthers went winless in four games without him.

With their new head coach reportedly in the fold, the Redskins can turn their attention to replacing fired football operations head Bruce Allen.

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