The Washington Commanders spent their 2026 offseason making changes after a 2025 season that never came close to expectations, and the most debated one was the decision to move on from Kliff Kingsbury.
Head coach Dan Quinn cleared house on the offensive and defensive sides, parting ways with offensive coordinator Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. That kind of turnover is no shock after a 5-12 season, but ESPN’s Seth Walder argued the Kingsbury dismissal stood out as the wrong call.
“Washington opened its offseason by firing both Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. The former dismissal was a curious choice,” Walder explained. “Although the Commanders massively disappointed by going 5-12 in 2025, the defense was the biggest culprit, ranking 30th in EPA per play.”
Walder’s case starts there: the defense was the larger problem. The offense, though, also took a clear step back. Kingsbury had just overseen a unit that finished seventh in yards and fifth in points in 2024, only for Washington to tumble to 22nd in both categories in 2025.
Even so, Walder pointed to the context around quarterback Jayden Daniels’ season as a reason Kingsbury deserved more credit than blame. Daniels’ injuries hurt the offense, and his late-down efficiency also dropped after a strong 2024.
Still, Walder noted that Washington was “middle of the pack in offensive EPA per play without Daniels for half the season (and were actually more efficient without him!)” and said that “is a testament to the offensive coaching.”
He went a step further, saying, “If anyone should have been on the hot seat after 2025, I think it should have been head coach Dan Quinn, not Kingsbury.”
That view lands differently now because Quinn is widely considered to be under pressure heading into this season. But the Commanders did make a move aimed at keeping the offense on track, replacing Kingsbury with David Blough. Washington views Blough as a promising young offensive mind, and his background as a former quarterback suggests the team is hoping he can help Daniels rediscover his 2024 form.
Whether that change pays off will decide a lot for Washington. If it doesn’t, Quinn may not get another shot.
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