ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders aren’t waiting to fix the mess of 2025. Following a dismal 5-12 campaign that saw the team regress on both sides of the ball, Head Coach Dan Quinn is officially moving on from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero broke the news Tuesday, confirming a complete reset for the Commanders’ coordinator crew heading into the 2026 offseason.
The Offense: Kingsbury’s “Mutual” Exit
The separation with Kingsbury is being framed as a mutual decision, but the numbers paint a clear picture of why the partnership ended. Without a fully healthy Jayden Daniels who was limited to just seven games due to injury the scheme collapsed.
Washington’s attack, which electrified the league with a top-10 finish in 2024, fell off a cliff this season:
- Overall Rank: 22nd in points and yards.
- Passing Attack: 24th in total yards.
- Rushing Attack: 8th in yards (the lone bright spot).
While the run game remained respectable, the passing attack failed to adapt without Daniels’ dynamic playmaking. The inability to manufacture production with backup quarterbacks exposed limitations in the system, forcing Quinn to look for a new architect to maximize his franchise QB in 2026.
The Defense: Historic Struggles
On the other side of the ball, the writing was on the wall for Joe Whitt Jr. months ago. The defense was a liability all season, finishing dead last in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed.
The struggles were so severe that Quinn stripped Whitt of play-calling duties after just 10 games. While the unit showed a pulse late in the year, it wasn’t enough to save Whitt’s job. The move leaves Quinn with a massive decision: hire a true defensive play-caller or retain the headset himself and hire a lieutenant to manage the weekly install.
What This Means: The Pressure is On
“The wheels fell off in Washington in just about every conceivable way in 2025. They’ll add two new front tires to the operation in 2026 in hopes of speeding their way back to the postseason.”
— NFL.com Analysis
This is a make-or-break offseason for Dan Quinn. The “honeymoon phase” of the rebuild is over. The priority now shifts entirely to Jayden Daniels’ development. The next offensive coordinator won’t just need to call plays; they will need to build a structure that protects Daniels and functions even when the chaos factor isn’t working.
Washington has the cap space and the draft capital to rebuild, but without the right teachers in the locker room, the talent won’t matter. Expect the Commanders to target experienced play-callers who can bring stability to a franchise desperate to stop the bleeding.
