Commanders Land Defensive Whisperer Known For Coaching Aaron Donald With Rams

The Washington Commanders’ coaching staff is beginning to take shape following a full overhaul on both sides of the ball at the end of the season. The team has already replaced Kliff Kingsbury with David Blough as offensive coordinator and Joe Whitt Jr. with Daronte Jones on defense, and now Washington is continuing to round out its defensive staff with its latest hire.

The Commanders’ defense was nothing to write home about last season. The unit struggled, finishing 32nd in total yards allowed. Even with key pieces like Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw up front, Washington surrendered the third-most rushing yards in the league with 2,411 total as the defensive line failed to hold up against the run consistently. Now, the team is looking to flip that narrative with the addition of Eric Henderson as its new defensive line coach.

Henderson returns to the NFL after spending the past two seasons as the defensive line coach at USC. Before his time with the Trojans, he had a successful stint with the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent five seasons and was part of the Super Bowl-winning team in 2022.

Defensive line coach Eric Henderson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A Track Record of Defensive Improvement

During his time with the Rams, Henderson helped lead one of the league’s more consistent units. In 2021, the Rams finished in the top five in sacks and tackles for loss. In 2022, their rush defense ranked near the top of the league, allowing only two players to eclipse 100 rushing yards all season.

Henderson’s impact was also felt immediately at USC. Under his guidance, the Trojans’ defense made a noticeable jump, holding opponents to just 24.1 points per game which was a significant improvement from 34.4 the previous season. USC finished the 2024 season ranked No. 21 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten in third-down conversion percentage defense, a significant improvement from their No. 106 ranking in 2023.

Washington is hiring Eric Henderson as the DL coach/run game coordinator, per source. Darryl Tapp will be re-assigned as the assistant DL coach.
— John Keim (@john_keim) February 5, 2026

Henderson began his coaching career at Georgia Military in 2012 before moving to Oklahoma State in 2013, where he spent three seasons. He then coached at UTSA in 2016 before making the jump to the NFL in 2017 as an assistant defensive line coach with the Chargers. He joined the Rams in 2019 and later became one of the nation’s top recruiters during his two seasons at USC, earning 247Sports’ No. 1 recruiter ranking for the 2026 class.

With his résumé and proven track record, the Commanders are hoping Henderson can bring that same level of improvement to their defensive line. His “dawgwork” philosophy should mesh well with Dan Quinn’s next-man-up mentality as Washington continues to reshape its defensive identity.

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