Commanders Quietly Added Former NFL Head Coach to Help Struggling Defense

Steve Wilks has joined Washington's defensive staff to help Dan Quinn and Daronte Jones, but his role comes with an important limitation.

Jan 1, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers interm head coach Steve Wilks during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

According to NFL Insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, the Washington Commanders hired Steve Wilks to help the defensive staff ahead of the game against the 49ers. The decision to hire Wilks was made back in September, but he didn't start working with the team until last week. Wilks will assist with game planning and will work under Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones; he will not be with the team on game days.

Wilks has plenty of NFL experience, including two Super Bowl trips. He served as Carolina's assistant head coach and defensive backs coach in 2015, when the Panthers reached Super Bowl 50; as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018; and the Carolina Panthers interim head coach in 2022. He returned to the Super Bowl as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator in 2023, when the defense ranked third in scoring at 17.5 points allowed and went to the Super Bowl. Most recently, Wilks served as the Jets' defensive coordinator in 2025 before being fired in December.

This hiring is not in response to anything that happened in recent weeks or an indictment on Daronte Jones as DC. This has been in the works since before the start of the season, but he officially started last week. https://t.co/mCNisEhzQB

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 21, 2026

Washington has been a running example of defensive inconsistency and entered the bye week at 1-4-1 after a game in which they surrendered 303 total yards and 17 first downs in the first half, and then rebounded to give up only 72 in the second. The defense currently gives up 28.7 points per game, which ranks 29th in the league through six matchups. They don't lack scheming ideas; they're just struggling to execute them consistently on the field.

Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic notes that Wilks "comes in on Sundays and leaves after Wednesday practice." Essentially, the move adds another defensive perspective to the room, not another game-day decision-maker.

Wilks is filled with knowledge that can be helpful for Jones, a first-time NFL coordinator. It's important to stress that Wilks has no playcalling duties and is there to make the staff's job easier. The real gauge will come after the bye, when everyone will see whether any consistency changes are visible, as adding another football mind doesn't guarantee anything changes on the field. That's still up to Quinn, Jones, and the rest of the staff who will still be around Wednesday afternoons after Wilks leaves.

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