Commanders move on from coordinators Kliff Kingsbury, Joe Whitt Jr. following disastrous 2025 season

A Washington Commanders offseason that promises to be full of change started with two big ones: the team mutually parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., sources told CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones. 

It's a stunning turn of events, one that mirrors a similarly stunning turn of events for Washington. In 2024, Kingsbury's up-tempo offense led by rookie Jayden Daniels was one of the best in the NFL. In 2025, Daniels played in just seven games, and the Commanders, beset by injuries not only at quarterback but elsewhere, struggled.

Whitt was let go after the Commanders had one of the NFL's worst defenses across the board and coach Dan Quinn took over play-calling midseason. Washington allowed the sixth-most points in the NFL during the regular season. It was also 28th in the league in passing yards allowed, 30th in rushing yards allowed, 23rd in third down efficiency and 31st in red zone efficiency. The Commanders allowed at least 24 points 12 times during the regular season. 

Now, Quinn and general manager Adam Peters face major decisions on both sides of the ball, but the call at offensive coordinator will be crucial given the presence of Daniels. Last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Daniels missed time with knee, hamstring and elbow injuries. Even when healthy, he struggled compared to his debut season, and his surroundings were far from ideal, too.

Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown -- the team's top two outside wide receivers -- missed large chunks of the season, and the offensive line got off to a slow start. McLaurin and Daniels shared the field for just three games. The defense rarely bailed out the offense.

Kingsbury, 46, at times did well adapting to the changing circumstances. Marcus Mariota nearly led an upset against the Denver Broncos' dominant defense, and even third-string quarterback Josh Johnson earned a win. But The Athletic reported there was a potential disconnect between Peters and Kingsbury.

Peters, who came from the San Francisco 49ers two offseasons ago, has an interesting decision to make. The Commanders ran the fewest plays under center by a wide margin in both seasons under Kingsbury; the 49ers have been a top-five offense in that category. Finding a way to merge what Daniels has played in while still diversifying the attack will be paramount.

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Kingsbury, meanwhile, could figure heavily in both coach and offensive coordinator searches, as CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported.

"Everything needs to be and is being thoroughly being examined and discussed," Quinn said as his opening statement Monday Monday.

"We're going through all of all the coaches. Kliff offensively, defensively, on the teams side," he added later when asked about coordinators. "And so, that's really what we're digging into to find what's best, how do we do it, you know, where do we find spaces to improve?"

Changes ahead for Daniels, Commanders

The Kingsbury move is a big call for Quinn. Massive, even. The Commanders ran a system completely different from anything else in the NFL, and it wasn't close. Across the last two seasons, Washington ran ...

• 1,271 no-huddle plays, which was 810 more than any other team
• 1,864 shotgun plays, which was 104 more than any other team
• 227 under-center plays, which was 150 fewer than any other team

Daniels has always been a shotgun quarterback; in college, he ran 2,017 plays from shotgun and just 49 from under center according to TruMedia. This will almost assuredly be a massive departure from anything Daniels has done before.

It will also be a departure from a simple personality standpoint.

"I love working with Kliff," Daniels said Monday. "Me and him have a special relationship. We've kind of built that over these past two years, and I kinda just wish I was out there more to play for him this past year."

Both Quinn and Peters stressed that Daniels has been and will be a crucial component of making decisions moving forward.

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On a less-significant note, the Commanders may need to look elsewhere for a backup quarterback; Marcus Mariota is a pending free agent who thrived in Kinsgbury's system.

"I think first and foremost [Kingsbury's system] allows a quarterback to see everything," Mariota said Monday. "I've been in systems where you have to call these long play calls. ... I think being able to be on the ball is very quarterback friendly. It allows you to see it, gets you into good plays, gets you out of bad plays."

Learning a new playbook will be the first challenge for Daniels; putting it into practice will have many more challenges. That's not to say he can't do it. He is an immensely skilled athlete and player. It will just be a significant adjustment.

Kingsbury has tough exit, will have options

Kingsbury will have plenty of landing spots, either as a head coach or as an offensive coordinator. His work with Washington was too strong in Year 1 and, given the circumstances, even in Year 2 in Washington for him to not land on his feet. He won games with three different quarterbacks. He has shown creativity from scheme and play-calling perspectives -- quarterback runs, screens, a variety of run packages. The Commanders averaged the third-highest yards per carry over the past two seasons, and it even finished 12th in overall offensive success rate in 2025 despite a litany of injuries.

Kingsbury will have some head-coaching opportunities: The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback, and the Tennessee Titans (Cam Ward) and New York Giants (Jaxson Dart) have ones who flashed as rookies. Kingsbury developed young quarterbacks everywhere he's been, so those are the best bets to start.

At the end of last year, Kingsbury said he would want to be a head coach again "at some point" but didn't delve any further.

There's also a chance Kingsbury makes a lateral move as an offensive coordinator. The Atlanta Falcons have an opening at coach and could have one at offensive coordinator if Zac Robinson isn't retained by the incoming coach. Still, New York and Tennessee stand out.