The Washington Commanders have made their first significant hire under new head coach Dan Quinn.
On Sunday night, multiple NFL sources reported former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury — who served as an offensive assistant at USC last season — would be taking the offensive coordinator job in D.C.
After multiple reports linked Kingsbury to the Las Vegas Raiders vacancy, he suddenly withdrew his name yesterday and was announced as the frontrunner for Washington.
This is a massive move for the Commanders who hired a defensive-minded head coach, but will be looking for an offensive guru that can help develop whichever QB Washington is projected to take with the No. 2 overall pick.
Due to Kingsbury’s pat success developing Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, Kyler Muray with the Cardinals and playing a role in Caleb Williams’ development last year at USC, he seems like the perfect fit to bring former NFL head coaching experience and an offensive prowess into the new regime
Caleb Williams Congratulates Kliff Kingsbury An Hour After He Was Named Washington Commanders OC
Washington hiring Kingsbury could add a wrinkle to the Bears’ pending quarterback decision. At the moment, the choice appears to be between taking Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall or trading the pick and continuing to build around Fields. As we sit here on February 3, the Bears taking Williams with the first pick should still be viewed as the most likely outcome.
But Kliff Kingsbury coached Caleb Williams this past season at USC, the Williams camp trusts him, and the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is from Washington D.C.
On Sunday night, just an hour after Kingsbury was named the new Washington Commanders OC, the former Heisman Trophy winner took to social media to congratulate his former coach, adding more speculation as to what could come in the future.
Caleb Williams congratulates Kliff Kingsbury on getting the #Commanders OC job: pic.twitter.com/mBbr5ityH2
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 5, 2024
The Commanders hiring Kingsbury would suggest they plan to make a serious run at trading for the No. 1 pick, a move which would have the Bears slide down to No. 2 overall and be in position to draft North Carolina’s Drake Maye. While many around the league view Williams as a transformational prospect, it’s not a unanimous belief. There are those who believe Maye has a better shot at stardom in the NFL than Williams, and the Justin Herbert comparisons started long ago.
As of now, the Chicago Bears hold all the leverage even though there’s been speculation Williams doesn’t want to play for the organization and he even liked a tweet of a fan saying they should keep Fields and draft Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 1 overall pick.
Both the Bears and new Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters have monumental, franchise-changing decisions coming up. It’s probable Peters has already sent out feelers to the Bears brass on what it would take to move up one pick, because a Williams and Kliff Kingsbury pairing would be a match made in Heaven.
Until April rolls around, the speculation will only continue. But after an odd coaching search that ended up with Dan Quinn as the front man in Washington, the fan base is now thrilled Kingsbury is on board leading the offense in 2024.