The Washington Commanders were the first NFL team to hire a new general manager this offseason. They agreed to terms with former San Francisco 49ers executive Adam Peters on Jan. 12, a full 10 days before the next club — the Carolina Panthers — announced its GM hire.
Washington’s head coaching search has taken decidedly longer than its GM hunt, however. Eight teams needed new head coaches this offseason, and the Commanders are the only club without an HC place as the calendar approaches February.
What’s the latest on Washington’s interview process? And have the Commanders narrowed their list of head coaching candidates?
Editor’s note: The Commanders hired former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach on Feb. 1.
Commanders Only Remaining NFL Team Without a Head Coach
The Commanders had conducted initial interviews with eight candidates after firing former head coach Ron Rivera, but their list of available coaches has dwindled.
Two of Washington’s interviewees have landed HC jobs elsewhere in the league. The Atlanta Falcons hired ex-Los Angeles Rams DC Raheem Morris as its head coach last week, while the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms with former Baltimore Ravens DC Mike Macdonald on Wednesday.
Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson, believed to be Washington’s No. 1 candidate, declined head coaching opportunities for a second consecutive season. Bobby Slowik, who just wrapped up his first season as the Houston Texans’ OC, signed an extension to keep working with C.J. Stroud.
Incumbent Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy interviewed for the club’s head coaching gig in early January. Yet, he’s not considered a legitimate candidate for the position, according to Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports.
That leaves Washington with three remaining candidates, all of whom are defensive-oriented: Lions DC Aaron Glenn, Dallas Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, and Ravens associate head coach/DL Anthony Weaver.
Glenn has interviewed for nine HC jobs since 2021. He was considered a finalist with the Arizona Cardinals and took two meetings with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 before interviewing with the Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans this offseason.
Quinn is the trio’s only member with head coaching experience, having guided the Falcons from 2015 to 2020. He’s expected to accept the Commanders’ HC job if offered, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, who noted Quinn would have also taken the Seahawks’ position.
Weaver, the Texans’ DC in 2020, has been with Baltimore since 2021, adding an associate head coach title in 2022. Well-respected in league circles, Weaver drew head coaching interest for the first time this offseason. In addition to the Commanders, he also interviewed with the Falcons.
Glenn, Quinn, and Weaver have completed multiple interviews with Washington. None of the three are still coaching in the postseason, so the Commanders could hire any of them anytime.
Will the Commanders Expand Their Head Coaching Search?
There’s been no indication that Washington intends to add more candidates to its current pool. Of course, that’s not due to a lack of potential options.
However, the Commanders never seemed interested in adding an icon like Bill Belichick to its decision-making structure. Washington has already announced its next head coach will report to Peters, which probably isn’t a chain of command Belichick would accept even if the Commanders reached out to him.
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Belichick isn’t in the cards in the nation’s capital, nor is former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, per Vacchiano. Vrabel interviewed with the Falcons, Panthers, and Chargers after being fired by Tennessee, but the Commanders haven’t invited him for a sitdown.
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