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The Washington Commanders will have a new defensive coordinator in 2026. When head coach Dan Quinn demoted defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. ahead of the Week 11 game against Miami, it was clear there would be a change after the season.
Quinn didn't fire Whitt; instead, he chose to take over as the defensive play-caller. The two are close, and it was a move that Quinn didn't want to make, but Washington's defensive struggles left him with no choice.
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After finishing the season 5-12, Washington's offseason officially began. On Sunday, the perfect replacement for Whitt became available when the Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris after two seasons.
Quinn and Morris are close, with a relationship dating back to Morris' playing days at Hofstra. Quinn was a young defensive line coach for Hofstra from 1996-99, while Morris was a young safety there. Quinn was on staff for Morris' final two seasons as a player, and when Morris began his coaching career in 1998 as a graduate assistant.
After both moved around in the NFL over the years, they reunited in 2015 when Quinn was named head coach of the Falcons. He immediately hired Morris as his assistant head coach & defensive pass game coordinator. Morris' responsibilities would change each year in Atlanta while Quinn was head coach, as he retained his title of assistant head coach. In 2020, Quinn promoted Morris to defensive coordinator; however, after a 0-5 start, Quinn was fired, and Morris took over as interim head coach.
Morris moved on in 2021, becoming the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator for three seasons, including a Super Bowl win. In 2024, he returned to Atlanta as the head coach, but was fired after back-to-back 8-9 seasons.
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"Dan Quinn gives me credit for that (how Morris relates with people), but he gets credit for being the best connector I've ever been around," Morris said in 2024. "I watched this man connect with everybody. You want to talk about a great listener. Dan Quinn has the patience like I've never seen. He can sit there and listen, and I don't know if he believed me or not, but he made me believe he believed me, and that's all that really matters."
Could another reunion be in the works? Quinn needs to get this defensive coordinator hire right. It's doubtful he wants someone who has never done it before. He needs someone proven. That's Morris. Here's the thing: Morris will have options. If Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula lands a head coaching job, he could return there under Sean McVay. For any team that hires a new head coach, Morris will be on their short list for a defensive coordinator.
Can Quinn convince him to come to Washington? Some may forget that Morris spent three years in Washington as defensive backs coach from 2012-14, first on Mike Shanahan's staff and one year on Jay Gruden's.
Don't expect Morris to be in a hurry to make a decision. The Falcons owe him plenty of money, and he'll likely want to see what options are out there for him.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Raheem Morris the next defensive coordinator?
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