Washington Commanders: Insider gives shocking update on Kliff Kingsbury as head coach candidate

The Washington Commanders have been the most unexpected story in the NFL in 2024 and their offense, led by former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, has been a major reason for the instant success. 

After winning just four games in 2024, Washington finished the regular season with a (12-5) record and has now beaten the Buccaneers and No.1 seed Lions to advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years. 

There’s plenty of credit to go around for one of the most improbable turnarounds in NFL history. It began with Josh Harris, who is the majority owner who purchased the franchise from Dan Snyder. Harris then assembled a team that hired former 49ers GM Adam Peters, and Peters worked alongside a team of executives to find the team’s next head coach. 

The Commanders landed on Dan Quinn, who was a controversial choice at the time. Quinn led the Falcons to a Super Bowl as the head coach in Atlanta but they ultimately blew a massive lead to lose to Tom Brady and the Patriots. Quinn spent the previous three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and helped architect one of the top defenses in the league. 

Quinn’s most impressive accomplishment was assembling an impressive staff, filled with multiple former NFL head coaches and experienced assistants. One of the biggest hires for Quinn was landing Kingsbury has the team’s offensive coordinator. Kingsbury was close to reaching an agreement to become the OC for the Las Vegas Raiders, but Magic Johnson and other key members of the Washington brass convinced him to come to D.C. at the last minute. 

It has proved to be one of the best moves the team has made, as Kingsbury has molded the offense around the team’s superstar rookie QB, Jayden Daniels. 

Kingsbury has implemented a high-tempo offense that very rarely huddles and maximizes Daniels’ ability to beat defenses as both a passer and a runner. 

The Commanders finished the regular season with the No. 7 overall offense in the NFL and were ranked within the top five in the league for most of the year. They averaged 396 yards of offense during the regular season, but have taken an extra leap forward in the playoffs, averaging 415.5 yards in the two games they have played this postseason. 

On Saturday night, the Commanders put up 45 points on the road in a hostile environment  and only punted one time. 

It’s no surprise, NFL teams seeking a new head coach are wanting to interview Kingsbury for their vacancy. The Bears and Saints have already requested an interview with Kingsbury and there have been reports that the Jaguars and Cowboys are both interested in the Commanders OC. 

But on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shined a surprising light on Kingsbury’s mindset and desire to become a head coach again. 

“I think by the time the Commanders are done, most of the jobs will be filled,” Schefter said. “That’s number one. Number two is I think Kliff Kingsbury is really happy in Washington. He has an incredible quarterback, transcending quarterback. So between making money from Arizona, having the head coaching experience that he did, he’s not rushing to become a head coach again. Would he like to be one day, I’m sure. But it’s not something he’s rushing to do. He’s not going to force it. I think he’s focused on the NFC Championship game right now more than anything else.” 

If Washington can keep Kingsbury heading into year two with Jayden Daniels, it will be massive to keep the momentum the Commanders are building.