Dan Quinn Taking Massive Risks in Commanders Coordinator Hires

The Washington Commanders have two new coordinators for the upcoming season in David Blough and Daronte Jones.

Blough has been part of the team's coaching staff for the past two seasons while Jones comes to the team from spending the most recent season with the Minnesota Vikings. CBS Sports writer Jordan Dajani graded the hires and wasn't too fond of Blough, giving the team a "C-" for the move.

"This is a massive gamble for Dan Quinn. After an incredible 12-5 campaign in 2024, the Commanders finished 5-12 this past season. You can try to blame it on Jayden Daniels missing 10 starts, but he didn't look like a superstar in the games he did play, winning just two of them.

"With Kliff Kingsbury out, Washington moved questionably quickly to promote a 30-year-old former quarterback who has never called plays to lead the offense. I'm sure Daniels loves Blough, and he absolutely deserves a fair shot. But if he can't find a way to spark this offense right away, could Quinn lose his job? After watching one-third of the NFL change head coaches, I'm not ruling anything out."

Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones against the Los Angeles Rams. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Commanders Rolling The Dice on Coordinator Hires

While Dajani wasn't fond of the Blough hire, he was more of a fan of Jones, giving the Commanders a "B" for that decision.

"Daronte Jones is a Maryland native who returns to Washington after spending the past four seasons with the Vikings as their defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. He's worked with defensive backs at a number of stops, including Nicholls State, UCLA, the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, Hawaii, Wisconsin, the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. He also had a one-year stint as LSU's defensive coordinator in 2021," Dajani wrote.

Overall, these are two massive decisions for the Commanders, and they both come from very different reasonings. The Commanders liked what they had in a young Blough and believe he can grow into the right offensive coordinator for the team. Meanwhile, Jones is experienced and brings a somewhat fresh perspective to the table.

The two strategies couldn't be any more different from each other, but they are both crucial to the success of the Commanders in the 2026 season.

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