Scott Turner

Raiders Announce Finalized 2024 Coaching Staff

When the season ended, the Raiders stayed true to the wishes of many players, hiring interim head coach Antonio Pierce into the permanent role for the 2024 NFL season. Today, Las Vegas officially announced the entirety of the new staff under Pierce, cluing us into some developments that we hadn’t yet reported on. We were aware of the hires of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg, senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin, quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, assistant quarterbacks coach Fred Walker, and running backs coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams on offense as well as the hiring of assistant head coach Marvin Lewis. Here’s a rundown of the remaining staff updates.

On the offensive side of the ball, with quarterbacks, running backs, and offensive line covered, Getsy made the call to retain Edgar Bennett as wide receivers coach. Bennett has an extensive history with star wideout Davante Adams as the two have spent time together in both Green Bay and Vegas. Last year’s tight ends coach Jerry Schuplinski is now a senior offensive assistant with the Rams, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, so former Bears assistant offensive line coach Luke Steckel has been hired in his place. Steckel previously coached tight ends in Tennessee in 2021 and 2022, mentoring Chigoziem Okonkwo to an impressive rookie season. Steckel will be assisted by newly promoted assistant tight ends coach Mitch Singler, who served the past two years as offensive quality control for the Raiders.

Additionally, pass game coordinator Scott Turner has officially been retained after being considered a candidate for the Patriots offensive coordinator position, and former Bears assistant tight ends coach Tim Zetts has been added to the staff with the title of assistant offense. Lastly on offense, we were aware that the new head coach’s son, De’Andre Pierce, would be joining the staff, but whereas his initial position was reportedly going to be offensive quality control coach, we now know that he will be an offensive assistant.

On the defensive side of the ball, we had some idea of the fate of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who had been permitted to take interviews for head coaching jobs but was being blocked from lateral moves, and those ideas are now confirmed as he’ll be retained as coordinator. The team’s announcement shows that defensive line coach Rob Leonard and senior defensive assistant Rob Ryan have been retained, as well. Additionally, Matt Feeney, who has spent the past two seasons as a defensive quality control coach, has been promoted to assistant defensive backs coach.

Also on defense, we knew of the hiring of Mike Caldwell as linebackers coach, but today’s announcement informed us that he’ll hold the additional title of run game coordinator, as well. We also saw initial reports that Ricky Manning Jr. was being brought on as defensive backs coach, but he is officially listed now as cornerbacks coach with former Steelers assistant defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander being hired to coach safeties. Alexander assisted with a secondary in Pittsburgh that included Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terrell Edmunds, Damontae Kazee, and Keanu Neal. Together, the two will replace Chris Ash, who was not retained as defensive backs coach, and Jason Simmons, who was recently hired as defensive pass-game coordinator in Washington. Also, we had reported the addition of former Jets defensive line coach Andre Carter to the staff, and we now know his new title in Las Vegas to be pass rush specialist.

Lastly on defense, we were informed of the hiring of Marcus Lewis as assistant linebackers coach and Josh Phillips as assistant defense. Lewis has recent experience as a defensive analyst at Arizona State and NFL experience after spending five years with the Bengals as an assistant working with the defensive line and linebackers. Phillips most recently served as head coach at Sarasota HS (FL), leading the team to a 1-9 record in his only season at the helm.

On special teams, we officially received word that both special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton II would both be retained under Pierce. It appears that former NFL wideout Danny Amendola, who had been brought on as a coaching assistant to work specifically with returners, has not been retained, and Kade Rannings has been added to the staff as a second assistant special teams coach.

Lastly, the team announced that former director of football research and strategy Matt Sheldon will be on the sideline in the role of game management coach. Also, Jon Gruden‘s son, Deuce Gruden, is a surprising holdover as an assistant strength and conditioning coach after being retained by McDaniel’s staff following his father’s resignation in 2021.

There you have it. Though, much will remain the same with Pierce taking over the full-time role as head coach, plenty of changes were necessary. After another short head coaching stint by Josh McDaniels, Pierce seemed to rejuvenate a deflated squad to close the season. With a new staff of his own and a full offseason to work together, it will be interesting to see what Pierce will be able to accomplish in Las Vegas in 2024.

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

Patriots Interested In Klint Kubiak, Scott Turner For OC Position

The Patriots have cast a wide net in their search for a new offensive coordinator. Several outside candidates are already known to be on the team’s radar, but the list of staffers drawing interest continues to grow.

New England has already met with 49ers assistant Brian Fleury for the OC gig, but he is not the only member of Kyle Shanahan‘s staff to have done so. Passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak also spoke with the Patriots about the position. In addition, as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes, the Patriots plan to interview Raiders passing game coordinator Scott Turner this week.

Kubiak has been connected to three other coordinator vacancies during the 2024 hiring cycle as he considers a potential return to a coordinator posting. The 36-year-old held the position for one year (2021) with the Vikings before joining the Broncos the following year as their QBs coach. This past offseason, he joined Shanahan’s staff as passing game coordinator, making him a key figure guiding an offense which put up elite numbers in several categories and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl.

Because of that success, Kubiak can interview again during the upcoming week, but he cannot be hired until the end of the season. That does not apply to Turner, whose season ended after Week 18 with the Raiders falling short of the postseason. The latter has not yet been mentioned as a candidate for any OC opening around the league, but like Kubiak, he has coordinator experience.

Turner oversaw the Commanders’ offense from 2020-22, though he never guided the unit to a finish better than 23rdin scoring over that period. The 41-year-old spent this season with the Raiders, a team which underwent considerable staffing changes midseason with Antonio Pierce taking on head coaching duties. He is in place on a full-time basis, leaving open the possibility Turner and other assistants will be headed elsewhere this offseason.

Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley is the only Patriots candidate to have a second interview lined up so far. While he might therefore be the favorite for the position, New England is certainly employing a wide-ranging approach in its search to find a Bill O’Brien replacement.

Here is an updated look at the Patriots’ search:

Raiders To Fire OC Mick Lombardi, Promote Bo Hardegree

9:51am: Rather than Turner, the Raiders are promoting quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to OC, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. McDaniels also hired Hardegree in 2022, while he and Kelly were both with the Broncos (2014) and Bears (2015). Unlike Turner, Hardegree does not have play-calling experience. He joined the Raiders after stints as an offensive assistant with the Jefs (2019-20) and Patriots (2021). That said, Hardegree, 39, did coach the Dolphins’ quarterbacks for three seasons under Adam Gase prior to following Gase to New York.

9:45am: Coming out of the overnight firing of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, the Raiders are also moving on from their offensive coordinator. They are firing Mick Lombardi, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.

Lombardi, 35, operated as a non-play-calling OC during his two seasons in Las Vegas. While Lombardi was not a longtime Patriots staffer like McDaniels and Ziegler, he did come over from New England in 2022. The Raiders hired Lombardi after he spent the previous three seasons in Foxborough.

Lombardi’s name did not come up much during McDaniels’ tenure, but the two’s ties did not leave the young assistant on steady terrain. Mick Lombardi is the son of former NFL GM Michael Lombardi; Matt Lombardi also joined the Raiders’ staff as assistant wide receivers coach this offseason. This marked Mick’s first shot as an offensive coordinator.

Mick Lombardi served as the Patriots’ assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019 and the team’s wide receivers coach from 2020-21. While Jakobi Meyers — a Lombardi charge in New England — has played well since signing a three-year, $33MM deal, the Raiders’ offense exited Week 8 ranked 30th in DVOA and in points scored. The team has not scored more than 20 points on offense all season, with Maxx Crosby‘s safety being the only time the team broke out of the teens — in a Week 6 win over the Patriots.

In quickly moving on from their second-year power brokers, the Raiders made assistant GM Champ Kelly their interim general manager and bumped linebackers coach Antonio Pierce — a first-time NFL staffer — to interim HC. The team is now considering pass-game coordinator Scott Turner for the OC role, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Turner would be likely thrust into a play-calling OC post, with Pierce not a realistic candidate to call offensive plays. Turner served in that role for the past three seasons, in Washington, but Ron Rivera fired him following the 2022 campaign.

Prior to joining McDaniels and Bill Belichick, who also employed Michael Lombardi during two different stints (in Cleveland and New England), Mick Lombardi worked as a lower-level staffer with the Jets and 49ers. He has been an NFL staffer since 2013, breaking into the league on Jim Harbaugh‘s third 49ers staff. Turner, 42, is also a second-generation NFL staffer. Scott’s father, Norv, coached the Raiders from 2004-05.

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Raiders Hire Scott Turner

4:12pm: That was fast. Evidently, the Raiders will greenlight this hire early. The team announced Turner’s addition to McDaniels’ staff Friday afternoon.

3:34pm: Just as Mike LaFleur did recently, Scott Turner is expected to have another job lined up. The Raiders are planning to meet with the former Commanders OC, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes a hire is on track to follow (Twitter link).

Turner will meet with the Raiders next week. Should the second-generation NFL staffer join Josh McDaniels‘ staff, this will mark the second straight team to hire him after previously employing his father as head coach. Norv Turner was the Raiders’ HC from 2004-05. Scott Turner has a Las Vegas past as well, having played in college at UNLV.

Days after the season ended, the Commanders fired Scott Turner after three years. While the team’s issues at quarterback effectively capped what could be accomplished during this time, a host of Commanders voiced frustrations about the direction of Turner’s attack. Washington, however, has still not settled on a Turner replacement.

The Raiders have McDaniels and Mick Lombardi in place as their HC-OC duo, with McDaniels holding play-calling reins. But the team will soon search in earnest for a new quarterback. Turner should be expected to play a key role there, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com offering (via Twitter) a job overseeing the Raiders’ passing game is expected.

Turner, 40, finished the 2019 season as the Panthers’ OC and ended up rejoining Ron Rivera in Washington. Turner’s offenses never ranked inside the top 20 in scoring, with the team’s quarterback merry-go-round — featuring a large dose of former UDFA Taylor Heinicke — often sputtering. Dan Snyder kept Rivera for a fourth season, but Turner hit the job market.

The Raiders ranked 12th offensively in McDaniels’ oft-scrutinized debut — one marred by blown leads — but are now in the process of finding a Derek Carr trade partner and searching for a replacement. The Raiders did not have much luck with quarterback continuity between Rich Gannon and Carr, with Norv Turner’s stay overlapping with an unremarkable Kerry Collins tenure. The team will still have Davante Adams, who said he will not seek a trade despite its plan to deal Carr, and Josh Jacobs. Vegas is expected to retain Jacobs, who is a franchise tag candidate.

Coaching Notes: Turner, Colts, Cards, Flores

In addition to the previously reported player gripes about the state of the Commanders‘ offense, John Keim of ESPN.com notes others in the organization expressed frustration about the inconsistencies within the team’s offensive philosophy. Washington fired three-year OC Scott Turner on Tuesday, despite having signed him to a three-year extension, and signs point to the team making a more concerted effort to focus on its run game. Ron Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew expressed a desire to run more, even after the Commanders ranked fourth in rushing attempts (538). But Keim adds a litany of complaints surfaced about the nature of the offense — from the team deviating from effective plays to Turner’s scheme being difficult for quarterbacks to digest. Concern about the offense emanated inside the building throughout the year, per Keim, who adds Rivera sat in on offensive meetings at points amid the unrest.

The Commanders’ issues at quarterback and on their O-line, a unit full of veterans, hamstrung Turner’s unit. So did injuries, as the team planned to have Brian Robinson play a major role from the start. The two gunshot wounds he sustained in August derailed those plans, and Carson Wentz barely ended up playing with the third-round rookie this season. While outside candidates will be interviewed, Keim adds the Commanders generally like their offensive scheme. QBs coach Ken Zampese, a second-generation NFL assistant who was previously the Bengals’ OC, will likely be an in-house candidate.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • The Cardinals fired Kliff Kingsbury after four seasons and did so less than a year after signing him to an extension that ran through 2027. While Kingsbury firing rumors had been brewing for months, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson notes (via Twitter) the young HC did not appear to be expecting it. When a “surprised and distraught” Kingsbury addressed his staffers, he mentioned some of them could be retained. One of them might be DC Vance Joseph, who has been connected to a possible promotion. The former Broncos HC served as Kingsbury’s DC throughout his four-year tenure.
  • One of Frank Reich‘s Colts staffers earned an interview for the team’s HC vacancy. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone met with Jim Irsay and Co. about the position Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Ventrone, 40, broke into coaching after 10 NFL seasons as a player. After spending time on Bill Belichick‘s staff, Ventrone joined Reich’s staff in 2018 and has been in position as Indy’s ST coordinator since. This is his first interview for a head coaching gig. The Colts can interview their own staffers, unattached coaches and Eagles or Chiefs staffers this week but must wait until midway through next week to begin meeting with candidates from teams playing on wild-card weekend.
  • Although Brandon Staley guided the Chargers to the playoffs, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com does not get the sense the second-year HC’s job is 100% safe. A loss to the Jaguars may prompt Chargers ownership to change course. Sean Payton lurking may well affect Staley’s standing, should the Jags prevail. The Bolts job came up several months ago for Payton, who already lives in Los Angeles, and this potential partnership has been a poorly kept secret in NFL circles.
  • Brian Flores will interview for the Browns‘ DC job Thursday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, though the Steelers linebackers coach is believed to have other teams interested. Flores’ discrimination lawsuit is ongoing, but the former Dolphins HC just wrapped a season on Mike Tomlin‘s staff. The Browns are also interviewing Jim Schwartz and Sean Desai, with a Jerod Mayo request out there as well.
  • Two more Panthers assistants have left to join Matt Rhule at Nebraska. Rob Dvoracek and Garett McGuire have left the Panthers to become the Cornhuskers’ linebackers and wide receivers coaches, respectively, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. Both were in low-level assistant roles with Carolina and each played for Rhule — Dvoracek at Temple, McGuire at Baylor. These exits follow Terrance Knighton‘s; Knighton departed the Panthers in-season.

Commanders Fire OC Scott Turner

The Commanders will be on the hunt for a new play-caller for the 2023 season. They are firing Scott Turner, NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay reports (on Twitter).

Turner had been in place as Washington’s OC throughout Ron Rivera‘s three-year tenure, and the second-generation coach was with Rivera in Carolina as well. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported minutes ago Turner was on shaky ground, and the Commanders will look for an upgrade on the market. Rivera confirmed the move shortly after the reports emerged.

This decision comes 10 months after Washington extended Turner, but the team has consistently struggled to put up points during Rivera’s tenure. Washington has finished 25th, 23rd and 24th in points scored from 2020-22. Although the team’s quarterback instability undoubtedly represents the main reason for those rankings, Turner will pay the price.

The son of Norv Turner, Scott landed his first NFL job under Rivera in 2011, becoming an offensive quality control staffer with the Panthers in Rivera’s first season. After some moves around the league and a year under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, Turner resurfaced in Carolina during Rivera’s final two Panthers seasons. In the wake of the Panthers firing Rivera (and Norv Turner moving to a non-OC role) in 2019, Scott Turner finished that year running Carolina’s offense. He parlayed that into the Washington gig. (Washington also fired Norv Turner back in 2000, after he lasted seven years as HC.)

Rivera had gone with the same OC-DC pairing — Turner, Jack Del Rio — throughout his Washington tenure, but assuming he stays on as the Commanders’ HC, a hot seat will await. Washington made the playoffs in 2020, albeit with a 7-9 record, but has not cleared .500 during Rivera’s stay. That will ramp up the pressure on the veteran coach for the 2023 season.

With Washington, Turner was tasked with running offenses built around several different quarterbacks. The team, which has started six Week 1 QBs since 2017, has seen injuries impact its QB room significantly during Rivera’s tenure. Alex Smith‘s return from his gruesome leg injury aided the then-Washington Football Team in 2020, when Smith started over Dwayne Haskins. But Haskins still started six games for Washington that year. Smith’s retirement led to the Commanders signing Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2021. Fitzpatrick lasted barely 10 plays that season, going down in Week 1 and never playing again. This year’s Carson Wentz experiment largely busted.

The Commanders traded two Day 2 picks for Wentz but went just 2-5 in his starts, benching him for both Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell this season. Wentz did not have the chance to play with rookies Brian Robinson and Jahan Dotson much, but after returning from his broken finger, he threw three interceptions in a Week 17 loss that eliminated the Commanders. With the team having the chance to save $26MM by cutting Wentz, it would be a bit of a surprise if he returns in 2023.

Quarterback issues aside, this move also comes after Commanders players showed frustration with the team’s play-calling, Sam Fortier of the Washington Post writes. Logan Thomas said last week, “The way I put it is: We got so much talent, we should be scoring more points than we have,” with Fortier adding nine other players expressed issues with Turner’s play-calling. Washington extended Terry McLaurin, drafted Dotson in Round 1 and has Curtis Samuel on an $11.5MM-per-year deal. Both its top running backs (Robinson, Antonio Gibson) also were Day 2 choices. Turner’s replacement will be tasked with maximizing this lot of higher-end investments.

Commanders To Extend OC Scott Turner

Washington will start a different Week 1 quarterback for a sixth straight season, acquiring Carson Wentz to be the latest. But the team ensured play-calling continuity by agreeing to terms on an extension with Scott Turner.

Turner, who took over as Washington’s offensive coordinator when Ron Rivera arrived in 2020, agreed to a multiyear extension, J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington tweets.

Formerly the Panthers’ quarterbacks coach, who moved up to Carolina’s OC to close out the 2019 season, Turner will aim to maximize Wentz’s talents. Turner, 39, has been in the NFL since 2011 and is on his second run as an OC. The second-generation NFL play-caller has mentored Dwayne Haskins, Ryan Fitzpatrick (briefly) and Taylor Heinicke. Turner will be tasked with rehabilitating Wentz’s career, which has skidded off track after the Eagles and Colts traded him in the past year.

Washington did not rank inside the top 20 in points or yards during Turner’s first two seasons, but the team did not exactly have much at quarterback during that time. This led to the Commanders sending the Colts two Day 2 picks and a 2022 second-round swap for Wentz. How Wentz performs may well determine Rivera and Turner’s fates come 2023.

Commanders Extend OC Scott Turner

Scott Turner is staying put. This week, the Commanders agreed to a multi-year contract extension with their offensive coordinator, according to J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Commanders Trade For Wentz]

The new deal will keep him in place through 2024 as he guides an offense led by Carson Wentz. Turner has history with Commanders coach Ron Rivera, dating back to the Panthers where he served as a quality control coach (2011, 2012) and quarterbacks coach (2018, 2019).

They work well together, though they’ve yet to see real results in D.C. Washington has ranked just 28th in total yards over the last two years with Turner at the helm. The acquisition of Wentz, they hope, will change that. The Commanders have churned through a number of quarterbacks since 2020, but Wentz and his ninth-ranked QBR should help to steady things.

Before dealing for Wentz, the Commanders reportedly offered three first-round picks for Russell Wilson. Ultimately, they were topped by the Broncos, but Wentz should still provide Turner with a significant upgrade under center.