The Commanders have their eye on someone with familial ties to the organization as they look for a new quarterbacks coach.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that they have requested an interview with Falcons quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams for the same role on Dan Quinn’s staff. The Commanders are also looking for a new offensive coordinator.
Williams is the son of Doug Williams, who was the Super Bowl XXII MVP while playing for Washington.
The younger Williams played quarterback for his father at Grambling and became an NFL assistant with the Saints in 2019. He joined the Falcons as an assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024 and moved into his current role in 2025.
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Former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is almost certain to have a job in 2026. The questions are: What job and where?
Gannon will interview for the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator job on Tuesday, the Commanders’ defensive coordinator job on Thursday and the Titans’ head coaching job on Sunday, NFL Media reports.
The Cardinals fired Gannon last week after three seasons as the team’s head coach.
The Cardinals had a record of 15-36 in Gannon’s tenure, including a 3-14 record in 2025. While Arizona started the season 2-0 with victories over New Orleans and Carolina, the team lost 14 of its last 15 games, with the only victory coming against Dallas in Week 9.
The club’s high-water mark under Gannon was 8-9 in 2024. That came after a 4-13 season to open Gannon’s tenure in 2023.
Gannon earned his head coaching job after two seasons as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. He has also worked for the Falcons, Titans, Vikings and Colts, although his time with the Eagles is his only experience as a defensive coordinator.
The Commanders are promoting David Blough to offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.
Blough has spent the past two seasons as the team’s assistant quarterbacks coach.
The Lions had shown interest in Blough, who served as a backup quarterback for Detroit for four seasons. He played under Ben Johnson, Kevin O’Connell and Kliff Kingsbury.
After he finished his playing career in 2023, Blough immediately stepped into coaching with the Commanders.
He replaces Kingsbury, whom the team fired despite the support of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Commanders had already lost quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard, who left during the season to become the head coach at Stanford University.
The team also fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.
The Commanders also interviewed Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells and Cardinals passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Drew Terrell for the job.
The Commanders have interviewed Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen for their vacant defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.
Chiefs star defensive lineman Chris Jones reacted to the news on social media, replying, “Oh, sh!+. . . . .”
Cullen entered the NFL as a defensive assistant in 2006 with the Lions. He returned to the college ranks in 2009 before the Jaguars hired him as their defensive line coach a year later. He also was the defensive line coach for the Browns (2013), Bucs (2014-15), Ravens (2016-20) and joined the Chiefs in that role in 2022.
In 2021, Cullen was the defensive coordinator of the Jaguars.
The Commanders are seeking to replace defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., whom they fired earlier this week.
The Chiefs have already lost assistant defensive line coach Alex Whittingham to the University of Michigan, and they fired wide receivers coach Connor Embree.
The Commanders have gotten their search for an offensive coordinator going with an external candidate.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Washington has interviewed Cardinals receivers coach and passing game coordinator Drew Terrell for the role.
Terrell, 34, had been with Arizona since 2023. But he was previously with Washington from 2020-2022 under former head coach Ron Rivera, first as assistant receivers coach and then as receivers coach.
He also coached under Rivera with the Panthers from 2018-2019 as an offensive quality control coach.
Notably, Rapoport also reports that the Commanders have interviewed “several” internal candidates. JP Finlay of NBC 4 Washington speculates those candidates were likely assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator Brian Johnson, run game coordinator/running backs coach Anthony Lynn, and assistant QBs coach David Blough.
The Commanders have requested permission to speak with Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells about their offensive coordinator opening, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.
Wells has spent six seasons in his current job, which includes three seasons with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn on staff.
The Commanders are seeking to replace Kliff Kingsbury, whom Quinn fired earlier this week.
Washington had starting quarterback Jayden Daniels for only seven games this season because of injuries. The Commanders ranked 22nd in yards and 22nd in points.
Wells also coached for the Giants from 2013-19, first as an offensive quality control coach and then as the assistant offensive line coach. From 2008-11, he was on the LSU staff.
It likely won’t take Mike McDaniel long to find a new job.
An obvious offensive coordinator candidate for any team that needs one, McDaniel has already fielded some interest.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Lions have reached out to McDaniel about potentially becoming the club’s OC.
Detroit fired offensive coordinator John Morton earlier this week after the club missed the postseason. Head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling midway through the season, but the Lions were not as cohesive of an offensive unit throughout the year as they had been with now-Bears head coach Ben Johnson calling the plays.
Washington is another team with an offensive coordinator vacancy that is likely to reach out to McDaniel, given that McDaniel coached under Dan Quinn when he was head coach of the Falcons.
But there could be another role for McDaniel — head coach. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported earlier on Thursday that the Browns have interest in speaking with McDaniel about their vacancy.
Either way, it appears McDaniel will have some choices after he was fired by Miami on Thursday.
Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore was arrested in Lakewood, Ohio on Wednesday.
According to police records obtained by WKYC, Lattimore was arrested on charges of carrying concealed weapons and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle. Lattimore was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for expired license plates and other violations, and, per the police report, was arrested after failing to inform officers that there were firearms in the vehicle.
“We have been made aware of the arrest and are gathering more information,” the Commanders said in a statement. “We are in communication with the NFL League Office and have no further comment at this time.”
Lattimore appeared in nine games this season and is under contract for the 2026 season.
The Commanders are looking for a new defensive coordinator and one candidate for the job is in Las Vegas.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Commanders have requested an interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll this week, but have not parted ways with any of the team’s assistants at this point.
Graham joined the Raiders as a member of Josh McDaniels’ staff in 2022 and remained with the team through the changes to Antonio Pierce and Carroll. Graham has also been a coordinator for the Giants and Dolphins. He was a longtime assistant with the Patriots before making the move to Vegas.
Joe Whitt spent two years as the coordinator in Washington and the Commanders also parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury this week.
With six vacancies (other than the Ravens) and seven teams calling former Ravens coach John Harbaugh after his dismissal on Tuesday, at least one team without a vacancy made the call.
So which team(s) called? (It’s possible that more than one team without an opening called, if at least one of the teams currently looking for a coach did not.)
Here’s a look at the possibilities. And don’t blame us for doing it; Harbaugh’s agent lit the fuse by disclosing that seven teams called.
Jets: By all appearances, first-year coach Aaron Glenn lost the locker room. The final five games, with a minus-137 point differential (27.4 per game), was arguably the worst stretch ever for a franchise with plenty of rough spots. Still, owner Woody Johnson has shown no inclination to fire Glenn — and to owe him more than $40 million to not coach the team.
Dolphins: Michigan man Stephen Ross once pursued Michigan man Jim Harbaugh while the Dolphins still had a coach under contract. Why wouldn’t Ross make the call about Harbaugh’s brother, given the currently tenuous status of Mike McDaniel?
Bills: What if the Bills lose this weekend? Is it crazy to think the Bills would consider making a change? That said, swapping out one coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent for another coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent seems odd.
Steelers: If the team thinks Mike Tomlin, who seems to have a TV offer in his back pocket, could be leaving after the playoff run ends, it needs to be thinking about the next coach. Why not Harbaugh?
Bengals: There’s no way Mike Brown will finance Zac Taylor’s buyout and pay whatever it would take to get Harbaugh.
Colts: Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has said Shane Steichen will be back. Could she view Harbaugh as an upgrade who may not be available if a change is made in 2027?
Chiefs: Andy Reid will be back for 2026. The phone call (if it happened) may have been as simple as, “Keep us in mind if you’re thinking about taking a year off and returning in 2027.”
Cowboys: See the Chiefs.
Commanders: Dan Quinn’s team badly regressed in 2025. Why wouldn’t owner Josh Harris at least consider the possibility of an upgrade to Harbaugh?
Packers: New team president Ed Policy made it clear in June that it’s an up-or-out year for coach Matt LaFleur and G.M. Brian Gutekunst. Could Policy have wanted to let Harlan (the son of former Packers CEO Bob Harlan) know that there may be a reason to let the wild-card round play out before making any decisions?
Buccaneers: There’s a vague sense still lingering that ownership could make a coaching change. Harbaugh’s availability could be the thing that pushes the Bucs off the fence.
At least one of those teams made the call. Maybe more than one. And if one of those teams fires its head coach in the coming days, it could be the first step toward hiring John Harbaugh.
