The Washington Commanders are in the middle of a major offensive reboot, and all eyes are on newly appointed offensive coordinator David Blough. But while the headlines focus on the young OC stepping into a massive role, the bigger question behind the scenes is: who’s going to be in his corner?
So far this offseason, Washington has made several moves on the offensive coaching staff. Kliff Kingsbury is out as offensive coordinator.
Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson was also let go, with Darnell Stapleton promoted to take over that unit. Shane Toub moves up as assistant offensive line coach, while D.J.
Williams has been brought in as quarterbacks coach, joined by Danny Etling as his assistant.
That’s a lot of shifting pieces, but what’s still unclear is whether some of the more experienced names from last season’s staff will be sticking around to help guide Blough through his first run as a play-caller. Brian Johnson (assistant head coach/passing game coordinator), Anthony Lynn (running backs coach/run game coordinator), Bobby Engram (wide receivers coach), and David Raih (tight ends coach) haven’t been confirmed as returning. And that uncertainty looms large.
The presence-or absence-of someone like Brian Johnson could be pivotal. Johnson brings a wealth of experience and already has a strong grasp of the current personnel and system. But as former NFL tight end and current Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen pointed out on the Take Command podcast, there’s a human element to all of this that can’t be ignored.
“He would certainly qualify,” Paulsen said, referring to Johnson as a logical mentor for Blough. “But it depends where he’s at temperature-wise.
Is he upset about the David Blough hire? That would be understandable.
You’re an experienced coach. You’re the heir-apparent, so to speak, and you don’t get the job.”
It’s a fair point. Johnson was in a prime spot to take over the offense, and instead the organization handed the keys to a younger, less experienced coach. That kind of decision can create tension, especially if the expectation is that the veteran coach now has to guide the person who leapfrogged him.
Paulsen was candid: “I don’t want him in the building if he doesn’t want to be there. That’s totally reasonable, and I understand that completely.”
That sentiment speaks to the challenge the Commanders are facing. There’s no doubt Blough has potential, but he’s stepping into a pressure cooker. He’s never called plays for any extended stretch, and now he’s tasked with designing and leading an NFL offense in a league that doesn’t wait for anyone to figure it out.
And the complexity of what’s to come is no small thing. According to Paulsen, the Commanders’ run game is expected to undergo a significant overhaul in 2026. That kind of shift demands not just a coordinator who can diagram plays, but coaches who can teach the nuances of blocking schemes, timing, and reads to an offensive line that’s going to need to unlearn and relearn a lot.
“It’s a way more complicated, nuanced scheme than what they were running here previously,” Paulsen noted. That means experience matters. A lot.
So far, though, the Commanders haven’t made any big hires to bring in that veteran presence. It’s been a couple of weeks since Blough’s promotion, and the longer the wait, the more challenging it becomes to build a cohesive staff around him.
The bottom line? Washington is betting on a young offensive mind in David Blough, but for that bet to pay off, he’ll need the right support system.
Whether that includes familiar faces like Brian Johnson and Anthony Lynn-or new ones from outside the building-remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: this isn’t just about who’s calling the plays.
It’s about who’s helping build the offense from the ground up.