The Washington Commanders are already being floated in a possible Mike Tomlin sweepstakes, but there’s a long road between that idea and anything real.
Tomlin recently addressed his future on the Rich Eisen Show and did not shut the door on coaching again. That matters because he never got fired by Pittsburgh; he stepped down. The Steelers still control his contract, which runs through 2027 and includes a no-trade clause.
A recent Bleacher Report piece listed five teams that could potentially draw him back and get him to waive that clause, and Washington was among them. The case for the Commanders starts with the fact that Dan Quinn earned some breathing room after the team’s deep playoff run in the 2024 campaign. But that cushion may not be permanent.
The biggest concern, according to the article, is what happened with Quinn’s staff. He moved on from his offensive coordinator after just one year, and that kind of change can raise questions about how the coaching room is being built. Quinn’s future is also tied directly to Jayden Daniels.
Daniels missed 10 games in 2025 because of injuries, and that slowed what should have been a second-year leap. He finished the season completing 60.6 percent of his passes. Even so, after winning 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, he heads into his third season with expectations cranked way up.
If Quinn’s offensive assistants can’t unlock more from Daniels, the front office could start looking at more changes. The article also noted that Quinn parted ways with Kliff Kingsbury for a number of reasons, and suggested one possibility is that he already had David Blough in mind as his next coordinator. If that is the case, then Washington’s offensive performance in 2026 becomes a huge piece of Quinn’s job security.
Daniels’ injury status and durability matter less in that framing, but his production absolutely does. Quinn’s survival in Washington depends on how well his quarterback plays.
Even then, a Quinn exit would not automatically make Tomlin the answer. For that to happen, Tomlin would first have to decide he wants back in after only one year away.
Then the no-trade clause enters the picture, and any team interested in hiring him would need a convincing reason for him to waive it. On top of that, there’s the question of what Pittsburgh would demand in return.
There are a lot of layers here, and for now it’s mostly a waiting game. One detail worth keeping in mind: Quinn and Tomlin are close, having first met in 1994 when Quinn was a rookie coach at William & Mary and Tomlin was a senior defensive back.
In Other News...
Commanders Defense Gets Encouraging Week 1 Sign Before Eagles Opener
After a long weekend, the Commanders got back to practice with most of their defensive group on the field, a welcome early sign as they turn their attention to a Week 1 trip to Philadelphia. The biggest positive was the movement of linebacker Odafe Oweh, who is trending toward playing against the Eagles after working through an injury, while KLavon Chaisson is also making progress as the opener approaches.
Washington still has some important absences to monitor, with cornerback Trey Amos, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive lineman Johnny Newton all on injured reserve. For a defense trying to get through the first week of the season with as much continuity as possible, getting bodies back at practice is the kind of development that matters, even if the final availability picture is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Just Sent A Tough Early Message About Luke McCaffrey
Luke McCaffrey made the Commanders initial 53-man roster, but the first depth chart out of camp still sent a fairly clear message about where he stands on offense. Washington has him buried behind six other wide receivers, which tells you how crowded that room is as the team sorts out its passing-game pecking order heading into the season.
The one place McCaffrey does show up prominently is on special teams, where he is listed as the starting kick returner. That role fits his background, since he previously reached a Pro Bowl level in the return game before an injury changed the picture. For now, though, his path to a bigger offensive workload looks narrow unless the receiver group thins out through injuries or uneven play. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Early Draft Outlook Sends A Warning About Jayden Daniels
ESPNs latest mock draft already has Washington thinking ahead to 2027, and the projection is not exactly flattering. It slots the Commanders into the No. 10 pick and has them taking Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker, a nod to the idea that receiver help could be a serious need by then while the offensive line remains part of the long-term conversation.
The more uncomfortable part for Washington is what the projection says about the season ahead. It is built on the assumption that the Commanders finish with one of the leagues worst records, with concern lingering around Jayden Daniels health and the lack of proven depth at receiver. These forecasts can swing quickly as the season unfolds, but for now the outlook serves as an early warning about how fragile the margin could be. [Read more 🡒]