ASHBURN — Hard-hitting ballhawks on defense and a balanced attack on offense: the Washington Commanders will have a fresh identity in 2024, new coordinators Joe Whitt Jr. and Kliff Kingsbury promised Thursday.
The two coaches, who met with reporters at Commanders headquarters in Ashburn, said they’re ready to build a winner.
Kingsbury said his offensive attack would have to evolve and find a healthy balance between the run and pass. Whitt noted that his defense will focus on forced turnovers and violent tackling.
Kingsbury joins the organization from USC, where he worked as an offensive assistant in 2023. He previously served as the coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-2022.
In his time in college and the NFL, the Texas Tech product was known for a pass-heavy “Air Raid” offense. The former quarterback said the offense in Washington will look different from his past stops.
“I wouldn’t categorize anything we do under that name,” he said. “We want to be balanced. We want to be able to run the football and play-action pass, really do whatever it takes to win.”
In 2023, the Commanders’ attack was far from balanced, ranking first in the league in pass attempts and last in rush attempts.
While the offense will focus on balance, Whitt’s defense will prioritize hard-hitting intensity.
“It’s more about the play style than anything else. We’re going to get that right,” Whitt said. “The way that we live is not for everybody. It’s not. We’re going to run and put our bodies on people in a violent manner.”
The defensive coach followed Quinn to Washington from the Dallas Cowboys. The pair worked together in Dallas from 2021-23, when the Cowboys led the league in interceptions. The spotlight will remain on turnovers as the duo takes over in Washington.
Whitt said he needs defenders who can catch the football. He’ll handle the rest. Most drills, he said, will end with the defensive player nabbing an interception or scooping up a fumble.
“You’ve got to bring the ball to life. The ball is life,” Whitt said. “It’s like air. We’ve got to have it, we’ve got to get it.”
The Commanders’ coaching room will look different in 2024, but the new coordinators see that as a strength. The franchise announced Thursday that only four of the 18 coaches will be holdovers from the 2023 season. Ryan Kerrigan was the only survivor from last season’s defensive staff.
On offense, quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard, wide receivers coach Bobby Engram, and quality control coach Shane Toub kept their jobs.
Notable additions include former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn, who will be the offense’s run game coordinator. New pass game coordinator Brian Johnson served as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.
“The staff that we put together is outstanding. We have a lot of coaches that come from different trees; we did that by design,” Whitt said. “We want to have ideas outside of what I’ve done in my past. We’re ready for it.”
Kingsbury said he’s evolved since leaving Arizona after the 2022 season. More than anything, he noted that he’ll focus on players’ strengths and build a scheme around them.
“We’re going to build this thing together and be collaborative as we put it together,” the 44-year-old said. “We have a staff that’s going to do everything we can to make sure we maximize them as players and put them in a position to be successful.”
This offseason is vital for the Commanders’ roster, as the organization leads the league in cap space and holds the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft.
Coaches said Thursday that they’ve only started evaluating players currently on the roster. Next, they’ll evaluate potential free agents before turning to the NFL draft.
Questions at quarterback will follow the coaches throughout the spring. Sam Howell, who started every game in 2023, could be replaced before the start of the season. The NFL draft is rich with quarterback talent, including Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who played under Kingsbury last season.
Kingsbury discussed the traits he’d like to see in a quarterback.
“When money’s on the table, you’ve got to be able to make some plays with your feet, move around, and escape a bad play,” the former NFL quarterback said. “That doesn’t mean you need to run like Lamar [Jackson] or Kyler Murray, but you got to be able to move and buy yourself some time because the defenses these days are so good.”
The coordinators both said they’re ready to tackle their fresh roles in a new environment.
“Being able to just focus on the offense will be great,” Kingsbury said. “To be able to back up and do that again is exciting. I’m ready to get to work.”
Whitt said he’s been ready for this opportunity since 2015 when he was an assistant with the Green Bay Packers.
“We’re ready for success. I’ve been coaching in this league for 18 years … I’ve been ready.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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