If Kliff Kingsbury is to land a head-coaching job this offseason, he won’t do so as the sitting offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders.
Kingsbury and the team mutually agreed to part ways on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, with the coach seeking other opportunities elsewhere.
The Commanders on Tuesday also fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, according to multiple reports, marking an extensive reset for coach Dan Quinn’s staff.
Kingsbury, 46, entered the season as a name expected to be at the forefront of the 2026 NFL coaching carousel after helping quarterback Jayden Daniels become the nearly unanimous Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Commanders rode an offense that ranked fifth in scoring to a surprising run to the NFC championship game.
Kingsbury eschewed interest from the New Orleans Saints for their top job to return to his role with the Commanders.
But Washington saw its offense derailed in 2025 as Daniels played in just seven games due to multiple injuries, with the team shutting down the second-year signal-caller for the final three games of the season. The Commanders finished 22nd in both scoring and yards per game as the team limped to a 5-12 mark.
On Monday, Daniels spoke highly of Kingsbury and his connection with the play-caller.
‘I love working with Kliff,’ Daniels told reporters. ‘Me and him have a special relationship. We kinda built that over the past two years. I kind of just wish I was out there more to play for him this past year.’
Whitt Jr. had been stripped of his defensive play-calling duties in November, with Quinn taking over responsibilities.