Commanders linked to recently fired coach who 'checks all the boxes'

ASHBURN, Va. – The search is on for the next offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, and the list of candidates is long.

In addition to internal hire options like run game coordinator and running backs coach Anthony Lynn and Commanders’ passing game coordinator and assistant head coach Brian Johnson, there are several external hires who could be good matches for the job as well.

Diving into what Washington wants in a recent episode of Locked On Commanders, we’ve come up with one external candidate we believe checks all the boxes the team wants in their next offensive coordinator: Brian Daboll.

The criteria used to stack candidates leads us to looking for a coach who will teach, structure, and challenge quarterback Jayden Daniels, and therefore the entire offense.

That isn’t to say we believe Daniels needs to be locked down, but rather more effectively funneled so he can use his abilities more effectively and develop into the next face of the NFL that the league clearly believed him to be ahead of 2025.

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll with quarterback Josh Allen between plays during training camp. Jg 072519 Bills 10 | JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Adapting to young quarterbacks

“Given that [quarterback] Russell Wilson started the first three games, you can definitely say that the offense looked different after he was pulled for [rookie quarterback Jaxson] Dart. The Giants ran far more RPOs and zone reads with Dart in there,” Patricia Traina of Locked On Giants shared when asked about Daboll’s ability to adapt his scheme and teach to young quarterbacks.

"I think they did simplify it for Dart when he got in there–they tried to run as much as what he ran at Ole Miss to help with the transition."

So, Daboll, like his would-be predecessor, Kliff Kingsbury, does what we liked about the previous coordinator by leveraging what he already does well and is comfortable with.

However, Daboll also has a proven track record of developing and pushing quarterbacks beyond their pre-programmed comfort zones to facilitate further growth. His time with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills speaks for itself, and led to his earning the head coaching job with the New York Giants in the first place. And his ability to tap into what Daniel Jones did best upon arriving there helped that quarterback land a major contract extension.

That ability to teach comes in as a crucial element, as "every player I spoke to regarding Daboll’s offense said it was one of the most difficult they experienced. It reminded me of what Kevin Gilbride ran back in the day... with receivers having multiple options to choose from on any given play,” Traina shared.

Balancing adaptability with structure

But it isn’t that Daboll is simply fixated on doing things the hard way. There’s a bridge between adapting to what a quarterback likes to do and getting to the master’s level offense Daboll wants to run.

It doesn’t just take one leader, but a collaborative effort, another thing players liked about Kingsbury’s approach, and would look for in Daboll or whoever is the next offensive coordinator for the Commanders.

"Regarding the veteran leaders, players told me his door was always open and that he was very receptive to ideas to a degree," Traina shared about Daboll.

“I think that's when you have success as an offense, when there's an open dialogue between players and coaches,” Washington star receiver Terry McLaurin told us during his end of season interview.

The ‘to a degree’ part is important, because while it–at times–felt like too many hands were in the cake mix in the Commanders' offense, Daboll appears to be the kind of coordinator who receives input from all the cooks, but maintains his status as the lone chef.

Just like anything, there are ups and downs to every approach, but the upside of having someone with two hands firmly on the wheel, even while allowing the rest of the vehicle to recommend detours along the path, is attractive.

Furthermore, Traina shares that, right up to his final days on the job, Daboll never lost the locker room and the support of his players.

While those in Washington certainly never stopped praising Kingsbury, the sense that several players thought a change was needed was evident, and the clear differences in the offense we saw in the final weeks of the season underscored that some of those changes were already underway.

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, left, shakes hands with Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn after the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Deep connections to Quinn and Peters

Listening to head coach Dan Quinn talk about what he wants for the future, Daboll has to be a front-runner for the job, though not the only qualified option, no doubt. And his familiarity with both Quinn and general manager Adam Peters doesn’t hurt.

Daboll was on the coaching staff with the New England Patriots at the same time Peters was in the front office there, and he and Quinn worked together as coaches with the New York Jets before all three went their separate ways.

That history, along with Daboll’s ability to execute what his young quarterback already does well, teach them to further expand their skill set and build a scheme that eventually becomes a dynamic, explosive system. Bringing that history into the future of Washington football, then, is as attractive an option as any.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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