It’s that time of year. You know, coaching rumor season. Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury made a name for himself last year working with rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels. Kingsbury chose not to pursue other opportunities; instead, he decided to stay with the Commanders for one more season.
The season hasn’t gone the way Kingsbury or others expected. Washington is 4-11, Daniels is out for the rest of the season after missing multiple games with multiple injuries, and even backup Marcus Mariota looks set to miss this week’s Christmas Day game against the Dallas Cowboys.
advertise
When your performance is 4-11 and you don’t have the same success, there’s no guarantee that the same opportunities will come. So far, the NFL has only two head coaching vacancies: the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans. Both have young quarterbacks with similar dual-threat abilities as Daniels. Other positions will be available, but it’s not certain how many.
Does Kingsbury want to be the head coach this cycle? He was asked about it at a news conference on Tuesday.
“Yeah, we’ll see how it plays out, but you know, today, it was just trying to get one of these quarterbacks ready to go in a short week,” Kingsbury said. Short and sweet.
Kingsbury admitted last season that he was interested in becoming a head coach again, but he would have options. After being released by the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, Kingsbury knew his next chance might be his last. Kingsbury doesn’t seem to want to return to college. Most top college positions outside of Michigan are filled. We never heard Kingsbury was interested.
advertise
With two weeks left in the season, coaching rumors will increase. There doesn’t seem to be one name that everyone is chasing this cycle, which could lead to some unpredictability. If Kingsbury leaves, head coach Dan Quinn may consider hiring two new coordinators. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is expected to leave after being demoted to defensive coordinator earlier this season.
After a miserable 2025, it will be interesting to see what happens with Kingsbury considering how important the 2026 season will be for Daniels and the Commanders.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Kliff Kingsbury remains head coaching candidate
