Kliff Kingsbury and Commanders 'mutually agree' to part ways

The Washington Commanders are officially parting ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury after just two seasons, as Kingsbury looks to pursue other opportunities with other organizations. ESPN's Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter first reported the news.

Schefter reported that Kingsbury met with Washington head coach Dan Quinn before "mutually agreeing" to part ways.

Advertisement

Kingsbury just finished his second season as the Commanders' offensive coordinator, where Washington finished with a 5-12 record, which included an eight-game losing streak in the middle of the season.

Washington's lows come just one season after Kingsbury helped develop rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who led the Commanders to the 2025 NFC Championship game for the first time since 1991.

However, the move for Kingsbury to separate not only from Washington's organization but also from Daniels seems shocking given his history of working with some of the league's top quarterbacks.

He helped develop Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray early in his NFL career, Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, and Caleb Williams in his final season at USC. Daniels seemed to be the latest notch on Kingsbury's quarterback belt. Despite Daniels missing over half the 2025 season due to injury, it seems surprising that Kingsbury would walk away from the former No. 2 overall pick, and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.

Advertisement

As a rookie under Kingsbury's direction, Daniels turned heads with one of the most remarkable quarterback seasons in Washington's franchise history.

In 2024, Daniels threw for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions, while completing 69 percent of his 480 attempts. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards (891) and six touchdowns, bringing his total to 31 in 2024, which set a new franchise record, and helped him earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Daniels played in just seven games in 2025, where he threw for 1,282 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, which forced Kingsbury to start backup quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Josh Johnson for 10 of Washington's 17 games.

The difference in quarterback play was critical in the decline in offensive production from 2024 to 2025.

Advertisement

In 2024, Washington ranked fifth in the league in scoring (28.5 points per game) and seventh in total yards (369.6 per game) as the Commanders finished with a 12-5 record. Yet, in 2025, in a season riddled with injuries, not just at quarterback, the Commanders plummeted to the bottom third of the league in points scored (20.9) and total yards (318.8).

Washington went without wide receivers Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin for various points throughout the season, as the two dealt with recurring injuries. Brown missed 10 consecutive games with a groin injury and returned only to be placed on IR after playing just two games. McLaurin missed a total of seven games. He injured his hamstring in a 41-24 victory over the Raiders in Week 3, and didn't return until Washington's Week 8 Monday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he re-aggravated the same injury. He sat out another month before returning in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos.

Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey was placed on IR after playing just nine games, and tight Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury after playing 13 games.

Not only was Washington handicapped at quarterback, but it also had an abundance of its primary receivers. Deebo Samuel was the healthiest of the receiving corps, despite missing a single game with a toe injury.

Advertisement

Yet, there was still hope for a powerful offense to return to the field in 2026, as the hope for the offense of Daniels, McLaurin, and Brown that led Washington to the 2025 NFC Championship game, paired with Samuel and a more experienced McCaffrey, would have the offseason to recover from their respective injuries fully.

Even with the rumor swirling around, Daniels spoke on the relationship he has built with his offensive coordinator over the past two seasons in Monday's media availability.

"I love working with Kliff," Daniels said. "Me and him have a special relationship. We have kind of built that over the past two years."

But despite their relationship, Kingsbury is now moving on to pursue other opportunities, including possible head-coaching positions, as other franchises clean house after underwhelming seasons.

Advertisement

The Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll after his first season with the team, the Arizona Cardinals let go of head coach Jonathan Gannon, the Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and the Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski.

However, as the season came to an end, it became clear that Washington may consider moving on from Kingsbury, whether or not he was looking to continue his coaching career in another city.

Washington is clearing house and has also fired second-year defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: OC Kliff Kingsbury will not return in 2026