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Commanders Fire O-Line Coach; Dan Quinn Disagreed With Coordinator Firings?

By | at January 7, 2026 1:34 pm

A year after a surprise NFC championship game appearance, the Commanders moved on from both their coordinators. This follows a 5-12 season in which Jayden Daniels suffered three injuries that limited him to just seven games in total.

More fallout from the firings has emerged. For starters, the Commanders have fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Nicki Jhabvala report. Johnson was a Dan Quinn hire upon arrival. He had coached the Giants’ O-line during Brian Daboll‘s first two seasons.

This marks the second time in three years Johnson has been fired. The Giants let him go following the 2023 season. Johnson had served as the Bills’ O-line coach from 2019-21 before following Daboll to the Big Apple. Johnson had not worked with Quinn or Kliff Kingsbury previously.

Kingsbury represented the biggest domino to fall Tuesday, as he had drawn extensive head coaching interest last year and had popped up as a candidate again — even after a down Commanders season. While demoted DC Joe Whitt was viewed as on the way out, Kingsbury brought a surprise. But a report over the weekend indicated Kingsbury and GM Adam Peters were not seeing eye-to-eye. Soon after, Kingsbury is a coaching free agent despite one season remaining on his contract.

The Commanders had lured Kingsbury away from his 2024 Raiders commitment, dangling a third year the former Cardinals HC coveted. The Raiders had only offered a two-year deal. Kingsbury, 46, figures to be in demand moving forward. This dismissal reportedly came against the objections of Daniels and other offensive players, and it does not appear to be the first instance of the Washington front office disagreeing with the coaching staff.

Quinn did not seem overly interested in firing his coordinators, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who adds front office meddling with Quinn’s staff is believed to be an issue for the franchise. The issue extends to the front office giving instructions on which players to use, per Schultz. It is not uncommon for GMs to have preferences on how players are utilized; after all, they do generally have roster control. But conflict between front offices and staffs on this level is certainly something to monitor, as Schultz adds there were “notable disagreements” during a 5-12 season on this front.

This disconnect will obviously be a storyline to monitor. Peters did not have Quinn as his first choice. The Commanders were moving toward a Ben Johnson hire in 2024. Like the Raiders in 2025, however, Johnson’s wishes did not align with this plan. Quinn became a safe choice after three solid seasons as Dallas’ DC, and he guided Washington to road wins over the Buccaneers and No. 1-seeded Lions — Johnson’s Detroit finale — in last season’s playoffs. Injuries to Daniels and Terry McLaurin significantly impacted this year’s Commanders edition.

Considering this report, it will be interesting to see if rumblings about a Quinn departure emerge in the near future. Otherwise, it would seem the second-chance HC will enter the season on a hot seat. Coordinator firings regularly precede a head coach’s seat warming, and it should be safe to assume that is the case in Washington heading into the offseason.

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Commanders Fire DC Joe Whitt

By | at January 6, 2026 11:08 am

The Commanders will have a pair of new coordinators in 2026. The team has parted ways with OC Kliff Kingsbury, but DC Joe Whitt is also on the way out.

Whitt has been fired, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move comes as little surprise on that front, given the way things played out in 2025 on defense for the Commanders. Head coach Dan Quinn remains in place, but he will have at least two new assistants to hire over the coming weeks.

In 2024, Whitt contemplated staying with the Cowboys but ultimately followed Quinn from Dallas to the nation’s capital. That decision included play-calling duties for their first season together in Washington. In the midst of the team’s struggles on that front in 2025, however, Quinn stripped Whitt of those responsibilities. The expectation of a coordinator change has grown since then.

Indeed, a report from late December indicated Whitt was likely to be on the way out following the campaign. That has no proven to be the case. Quinn and the Commanders will now seek out a new play-caller on offense. Whether or not he retains that role on defense will likely depend on who winds up serving as Whitt’s replacement.

The Commanders posted middling numbers in both scoring and total defense in 2024. The team’s surprise run to the NFC title game was fueled in large part unexpected success on offense during Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season. While the second-year quarterback and other key offensive figures battled injuries this season, Washington’s defense was unable to compensate. The unit finished dead last in yards allowed and 27th in scoring.

Given that poor showing, it will be interesting to see if Whitt receives interest on the coordinator market. The 47-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, holding a number of roles during spells with the Falcons, Packers, Browns and Cowboys prior to his Commanders hire. Whitt has extensive experience coaching defensive backs and as a defensive pass-game coordinator, and another opportunity on that front could await him this offseason.

Earlier today, the Cowboys made the expected move of dismissing Matt Eberflus. The Whitt firing has added further to the list of D-coordinator openings around the league. More will no doubt emerge over the coming days. In any event, the Commanders will be busy during the 2026 hiring cycle as it pertains to restocking Quinn’s coaching staff.

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Kliff Kingsbury On Titans’ HC Radar; Commanders Not Certain To Retain OC?

By | at January 4, 2026 10:09 am

Kliff Kingsbury stayed off the 2025 HC carousel, preferring to ride the momentum he built for steering Jayden Daniels‘ Offensive Rookie of the Year season. A year later, the Commanders have nosedived. Changes are expected.

As we have discussed a few times, this year’s HC talent pool features more defense-based candidates. That should give Kingsbury an opportunity to potentially return to the HC level despite being tied to a losing team. The Titans are believed to be interested in Kingsbury, whom JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington believes has a “real shot” of landing that job.

But Kingsbury also may find himself in a highly unusual position: a candidate for HC jobs elsewhere but not certain to retain his own position. A disconnect has developed between Kingsbury and Commanders GM Adam Peters, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Although the Commanders are still expected to retain Kingsbury — in the event he does not land a top coaching job elsewhere — that is certainly notable as a rough season concludes. This comes as rather surprising given the push the Commanders made to dissuade Kingsbury from taking the Raiders’ OC job in 2024.

The 2024 Commanders made one of the most surprising trips to the conference championship game in NFL history. Daniels flashed superstar potential as a rookie, and Kingsbury — who has spoken of wanting another HC shot — was content to stay paired with the rising talent. A three-injury 2025 season for Daniels stonewalled the Commanders’ momentum, and an aging roster will require many changes. It would surprise if the Commanders greenlit a play-caller change considering how much Daniels achieved when last healthy for an extended stretch, but any friction between Kingsbury and the front office could make him more eager to explore opportunities this year.

The Titans have been closely connected to Matt Nagy, who joins Kingsbury as a second-chance candidate with an offensive background. Nagy also worked with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi. Kingsbury has no such tie, but he did appear on many teams’ HC radars after Washington ranked fifth in scoring an seventh total yardage in 2024. With Daniels largely out of the mix this season, the Commanders have sunk to 25th and 21st in those categories. Kingsbury, 46, did not conduct any HC interviews last year. That might change in 2026, as he has also been tied to the Giants’ HC position.

Elsewhere on the Commanders’ staff, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note Joe Whitt Jr. is likely to be removed from this DC post. We heard last month this was the expected course of action. With Dan Quinn stripping his longtime coworker of play-calling duties, it appeared Whitt — as is the case with Lions OC John Morton after he lost his call sheet — was a clear firing candidate at season’s end.

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Commanders Likely To Retain Dan Quinn, Move On From DC Joe Whitt

By | at December 21, 2025 9:57 am

Joe Whitt came over from Dallas with Dan Quinn, but after Washington’s defense has underwhelmed, it looks like a change will be coming. Although Quinn appears safe heading out of the 2025 season, a new defensive play-caller may be coming soon.

Quinn yanked play-calling duties from Whitt midway through this season, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero point to the DC’s likely dismissal following this season. Whitt received interest from the Cowboys and Commanders in 2024; he eventually accepted the Washington job.

While the Commanders made one of the most surprising conference championship game runs in NFL history last season, their offense did the heavier lifting. Whitt’s defense ranked 18th in scoring, 13th in yardage and 17th in EPA per play. This year brought a regression. When Quinn took over play-calling duties in early November, the Commanders ranked 29th in scoring defense and 30th in yardage. Six weeks later, the unit is 26th and 31st in those respective categories.

Whitt, 47, worked as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach under Quinn from 2021-23 and was on Quinn’s final Falcons staff in 2020 (as Atlanta’s DBs coach). He took part in a wide-ranging Jets HC interview process this offseason, but a move south of the DC tier may well take place in 2026. The Commanders have not done well to replace Montez Sweat, and their Marshon Lattimore trade did not do well to address issues in the secondary. Age across the roster has hurt the team’s cause as well.

Washington’s surprise surge to the NFC title game is expected to buy Quinn another year. Josh Harris still believes in the second-chance HC, per Rapoport and Pelissero, though it should certainly be expected the former Super Bowl HC’s seat will be warm to start the 2026 season. The Commanders sank to 4-11 on Saturday, marking a faceplant follow-up to their 2024 success.

Like the Panthers before them and Raiders after them, the Commanders made an aggressive pursuit of then-Lions OC Ben Johnson in 2024. The high-end play-caller turned them down, leading to the Quinn hire. Quinn, 55, being a second choice could factor into Harris and Adam Peters‘ decision down the road. But the success he had in Year 1 would probably make it rather impulsive to consider firing him now.

It will be interesting to see if OC Kliff Kingsbury draws extensive HC interest as he did last year. Kingsbury was selective following Jayden Daniels‘ Offensive Rookie of the Year season, not conducting any official interviews. A few teams had the Washington play-caller on their radars, but he opted to stick with Quinn and Daniels. After Daniels’ injury-plagued second season, Kingsbury’s stock has cooled. This would give Quinn a boost for 2026, when Daniels will be back and aiming to craft a third-year bounce-back effort — one that will largely determine the fates of Quinn and Kingsbury.

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2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 15, 2025 11:03 pm

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-11-25 (11:40am CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

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Jets Request HC Interview With Joe Whitt

By | at January 14, 2025 11:12 am

The list of targets in the Jets’ ongoing head coaching search continues to grow. Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt has received an interview request, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Whitt has not yet been linked to any other head coaching positions, but it comes as little surprise his time in the nation’s capital has been well received by at least one suitor. The 46-year-old coached the Cowboys’ defensive backs from 2021-23, having previously held similar roles in Green Bay and Atlanta. Once Dan Quinn vacated his position as defensive coordinator in Dallas to take over as Washington’s head coach, Whitt seemed to be the top candidate to replace him.

In the end, though, Whitt was among the players and staffers who followed Quinn to the Commanders. Despite Quinn’s experience in that capacity, Whitt has handled play-calling duties for Washington this season. The team’s run to the divisional round of the postseason has of course been driven in large part by the play of soon-to-be Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, but the Commanders’ defense has held up well against the pass in particular.

Washington surrendered the third-fewest yards per game through the air during the regular season, although the team has not been able to duplicate that success on he ground. The Commanders finished the year 30th in the NFL against the run; in spite of that figure, however, overall placements of 18th in yards allowed and 13th in points surrendered are notable. The defensive side of the ball is likely to receive considerable attention this offseason as general manager Adam Peters looks to build off this year’s success, and Whitt would be faced with increased expectations in 2025 if he were to remain in place.

The Jets moved on from a defense-oriented head coach midway through the season by dismissing Robert Saleh. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over and saw his unit generally struggle down the stretch, something which could help point the team in a new direction with the upcoming HC hire. Candidates from several backgrounds are receiving consideration, though, and Whitt is the latest to join the list of names connected to New York.

Via PFR’s head coaching search tracker, here is an updated look where things stand with the Jets:

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Joe Whitt To Call Commanders’ Defensive Plays; Magic Johnson Helped Sway Kliff Kingsbury

By | at February 5, 2024 5:44 pm

Dan Quinn will step back from the play-calling post he held in Dallas, indicating Monday his new defensive coordinator — Joe Whitt — will run the show on gamedays. This will be a move up for Whitt, who spent the past three seasons as the Cowboys’ secondary coach.

The Cowboys wanted to retain Whitt, who had a pre-Dallas history with both Quinn and Mike McCarthy. Whitt’s past with the latter is far more extensive; Whitt was on McCarthy’s Green Bay staff for 11 seasons (2008-18). He joined Quinn’s Falcons defense in 2020, but Quinn’s October 2020 ouster prevented the two from coaching together much. Quinn brought Whitt to Dallas, however, and will entrust him with the defensive play calls in Washington.

One of Whitt’s former Packers coworkers is also on the Commanders’ radar. The team is interested in hiring Jason Simmons, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the Commanders sent the Raiders an interview request. Las Vegas granted the request. Simmons spent the past two seasons as the Raiders’ DBs coach and pass-game coordinator, being a Josh McDaniels hire. While some McDaniels hires are in line to stay, others have already been fired or left for other positions.

Simmons, 47, spent nine years with the Packers, overlapping with Whitt from 2011-18 in Wisconsin. Both coached Green Bay’s DBs at points during that span, with their final year together featuring Whitt as the Pack’s pass-game coordinator and Simmons in the DBs coach post. Simmons served as the Panthers’ pass-game coordinator under Matt Rhule and doing the same under McDaniels and Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas. With Whitt in place as the DC, it would seem the Commanders are targeting Simmons for another pass-game coordinator role.

Shifting to the higher-profile Commanders coordinator choice, Kliff Kingsbury is indeed bound for D.C. after initially committing to the Raiders. Contract length represented a sticking point for Kingsbury and the Raiders, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds Commanders limited partner Magic Johnson was in the USC assistant’s ear during the hiring process.

Johnson is believed to have informed Kingsbury the Commanders would be interested if his Raiders talks broke down. Soon after, Kingsbury had a deal in place with the Commanders. This probably will not go over well with the Raiders, who have since moved on to Luke Getsy as their offensive play-caller. But after the Commanders were unable to land their top choices as head coach, their OC position enticed Kingsbury to bail on a Vegas pledge.

Johnson aligned himself with Josh Harris when he attempted to buy the Broncos in 2022, and the NBA legend did so again during the 76ers owner’s successful push to acquire the Commanders. The Kingsbury about-face also has not prompted the Raiders to block a Simmons interview, potentially indicating the latter was not firmly in their 2024 plans.

The Commanders wanted an experienced play-caller to team with Quinn, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. Kingsbury fits the bill, having run the show on offense at Texas Tech and then with the Cardinals. After a season as Caleb Williams‘ position coach, Kingsbury is likely to coach a rookie quarterback five years after mentoring No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. Washington is unlikely — barring a Chicago trade-down — to be in position to take Williams, but a Commanders future with Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels is firmly in play. The team now has Kingsbury readying to lead this likely development effort.

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Commanders Hire Cowboys’ Joe Whitt As Defensive Coordinator

By | at February 4, 2024 9:16 pm

Shortly after the reports that they had landed Kliff Kingsbury to call their offense, it has been reported that the Commanders have filled their defensive coordinator position, as well. Per Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Cowboys secondary coach and pass game coordinator Joe Whitt will be joining Dan Quinn and Kingsbury in Washington as the team’s new defensive coordinator. The move is now official.

This hiring comes as a bit of a surprise as Whitt was considered a heavy favorite to replace Quinn as the new defensive coordinator in Dallas. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Whitt was scheduled to interview with the Cowboys for their coordinator vacancy Monday. Instead, Whitt will take his first coordinator job with the team’s division rival, following his old boss to DC.

The Cowboys reportedly have interviews in the next two days lined up for defensive line coach Aden Durde, former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, and former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The team’s insistence on bringing in candidates with head coaching experience to replace Quinn may have been a factor in Whitt’s willingness to move on from the position without going through with his interview.

Whitt has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, after seven years coaching at the college level with The Citadel, Auburn, and Louisville. Starting as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Falcons, Whitt joined the Packers staff in 2008. Over 11 years in Green Bay, Whitt would move through the ranks from defensive quality control coach to cornerbacks coach to defensive passing game coordinator.

Following Mike McCarthy‘s dismissal from Green Bay, Whitt would detour to Cleveland where he would serve as secondary coach and pass game coordinator. He would follow up his one-year stint with the Browns with another one-year stint as secondary coach in Atlanta with Quinn. When Quinn was fired from the Falcons and joined McCarthy’s staff in Dallas, it was a no-brainer for Whitt rejoin both coaches as the Cowboys’ secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Perhaps Whitt felt like he was being forced to choose between two divorced parents having to decide between staying with McCarthy, who served as Whitt’s head coach for all 11 years that he was in Green Bay, or following Quinn, who brought him along from Atlanta. Regardless, it’s Quinn who will reward Whitt with his first career defensive coordinator gig in Washington.

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Latest On Joe Whitt; Cowboys Eyeing Ron Rivera?

By | at February 1, 2024 10:02 pm

We heard earlier today that Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt has emerged as the lead candidate to take over as his team’s defensive coordinator. At the same time, it sounded like the coach he’d be replacing in Dallas, Dan Quinn, still loomed as a suitor in Washington. We haven’t gotten any more clarity since then, but the sweepstakes continue to get more interesting.

[RELATED: Cowboys Aiming To Hire Joe Whitt As DC]

Earlier this evening, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported that Quinn and the Commanders were expected to hire Whitt as their defensive coordinator. However, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes Whitt-to-Washington isn’t a done deal, and the Cowboys continue to be in play. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News adds that the Commanders are simply working on scheduling an interview with Whitt.

The long-time coach would be a logical candidate for both roles. Whitt had a long stint working alongside Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, and the two teamed up again in Dallas. Whitt also worked alongside Quinn in both Dallas and Atlanta, so it’s natural that both head coaches are pursuing a familiar face for their respective coordinator vacancies.

Whitt has been with the Cowboys since 2021, serving as the team’s secondary coach and pass game coordinator. Under his tutelage, both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have earned first-team All-Pro nods, and he’s also helped guide a formidable safeties corps that features the likes of Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, and Malik Hooker. The 45-year-old has served as the defensive pass game coordinator in Dallas, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Green Bay, so it’d be a natural progression for him to earn a promotion to defensive coordinator.

While the Cowboys continue to be in the running, it sounds like the team is expanding their list of coordinator candidates. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, Ron Rivera is slated to interview for the Cowboys DC job next week, perhaps a hint that Dallas isn’t confident about their ability to retain Whitt.

Rivera was fired by the Commanders last month, but he’s since become a popular coordinator candidate. He earned interviews with both the Rams and Eagles, but both organizations decided to go in different directions. He sounds like he could now be a fallback option for the Cowboys, who are now in the market for a defensive coordinator with Quinn having been named Washington’s new head coach.

Watkins passes along another potential name to watch for the Cowboys DC job: Mike Zimmer. The former Vikings head coach is interested in the job, a source told Watkins, although it’s uncertain if that interest has been reciprocated.

Zimmer spent more than a decade in Dallas, ultimately serving as the team’s defensive coordinator. He had the same job with the Falcons and Bengals before being named the Vikings head coach in 2014. He lasted eight seasons in Minnesota, earning three playoff appearances. After he was fired following the 2021 campaign, he spent a season as a consultant at Jackson State.

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Joe Whitt Favorite To Become Cowboys’ DC; Commanders Also Interested?

By | at February 1, 2024 11:08 am

One of Dan Quinn‘s assistants in Atlanta and Dallas, Joe Whitt appears more likely to stay with the Cowboys than follow Quinn to Washington. With Quinn signing on as Commanders HC, the Cowboys are looking inward to replace him.

The Cowboys’ secondary coach for the past three seasons, Whitt has emerged as the lead candidate to take over for Quinn as DC, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Whitt has been an NFL assistant since 2007. One year remains on Whitt’s contract, the Morning News’ Calvin Watkins tweets.

Whitt could, however, have two options in the NFC East. Whitt’s past with Quinn would naturally point to the new Commanders leader viewing him as a strong candidate to move to Washington to become its DC. That scenario should not be ruled out, per NFL.com’s Steve Wyche. Quinn is believed to have mentioned Whitt as a DC option during interviews, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets. The Cowboys would be unable to block that move, as it would be a promotion to a coordinator post, but the team can also offer its own DC job to convince Whitt to stay.

The Cowboys may also have a difficult time hiring a defensive coordinator from outside the organization. Although the team has one of the NFL’s top defensive nuclei, Mike McCarthy will be the rare head coach to enter a season as a lame duck. The Cowboys are not expected to extend their fifth-year HC, whose job security sustained a massive blow after the Packers’ wild-card upset.

Whitt, 45, spent 10 seasons with the Packers (2009-18) before a one-and-done season under Freddie Kitchens in Cleveland. Quinn hired Whitt to be the Falcons’ secondary coach and defensive pass-game coordinator in 2020 and circled back to him upon landing the DC job in Dallas a year later. The Cowboys’ secondary has performed well under Whitt, seeing two cornerbacks — Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland — earn first-team All-Pro acclaim. Diggs became the first cornerback since the Cowboys’ Everson Walls in 1981 to intercept 11 passes in a season, and Bland broke the single-season pick-six record with five this season. The Cowboys have also fixed their yearslong safety issue during Whitt’s time, finding value on three midlevel safety contracts given to Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker.

Defensive line coach Aden Durde also followed Quinn from Atlanta, positioning the England-born assistant to be a DC candidate in Dallas or Washington. Cornerbacks coach Al Harris also stands as an option, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Durde has also emerged as a candidate for the Rams’ DC job.

If an outside hire is to be considered, the Cowboys have been connected to recently fired Commanders HC Ron Rivera. The latter interviewed for the Eagles’ job that quickly went to Vic Fangio. While this path would allow Rivera to land on his feet, it would be worth wondering if the veteran coach would take a job under a lame-duck HC considering his recent dismissal in Washington. Though, the Cowboys and Commanders effectively trading defensive coordinators would be a fun NFL storyline.

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