There are now 31 NFL teams that know who their coach will be entering the 2024 season. The lone holdout is Washington, sparking speculation on whether the Commanders have been doing their due diligence or have been caught off-guard in a hectic hiring cycle.
New Commanders owner Josh Harris, and the team’s new general manager, Adam Peters, have conducted their search under a veil of secrecy, which candidates will likely see as a welcome reprieve from the constant leaks of the Dan Snyder era.
While some NFL teams have shared publicly their interview plans and candidates, the Commanders have largely opted out of that, with information trickling out via reports and social media.
The consensus was that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the favorite to land the job. But when he opted to return to Detroit on Tuesday, it opened the door for other candidates, including potential surprises.
Four known candidates have conducted in-person interviews with Washington. Alphabetically:
Eric Bieniemy is the team’s current offensive coordinator, having been hired to that role last year by Ron Rivera. Bieniemy helped lift the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes to multiple Super Bowl appearances, but struggled in his first season in Washington, where he was saddled with a subpar offensive line and a first-year starting quarterback in Sam Howell. Bieniemy has now interviewed for head coaching positions with 17 NFL teams, but has yet to land one.
Aaron Glenn is the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, and was a part of the Lions’ run to the NFC title game this year.
Dan Quinn is the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, and previously an assistant in Seattle and head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn had head-coaching buzz early in the season as the Cowboys’ defense dominated opponents, but finished the season on a sour note with a blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.
Anthony Weaver is the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive line coach and assistant head coach. He has experience on both sides of the football, and the Ravens defense was one of the league’s most successful units this year, though he wasn’t the coordinator. Weaver is the youngest of the group (the others are in their early 50’s, Weaver is 43).
That doesn’t mean the final pick will be one of the four. Two veteran coaches, Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel and New England’s Bill Belichick, remain available, though there have been no reports connecting the Commanders to either.
Washington can take its time now, given the lack of competition, but also seemingly would not have any more information to gather, unless they want to bring more options into the fold.
One potential obstacle with coaches like Belichick and Vrabel would be the structure — the Commanders have entrusted Peters with final authority on the roster, and want a coach who will work collaboratively.
It’s also possible, though unlikely, that the team is waiting to interview one or more assistants from teams participating in the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
One interesting quirk is that three of the four remaining coaches on the public list specialize on the defensive side of the ball, which means they’d have to make an important decision about the offensive coordinator ahead of a draft where Washington has the ability to draft a top quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection. It’s also possible that Bieniemy remains for another season in that role — he’s already under contract in Washington.
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