Redskins hiring Scott Turner for OC job, not Kevin O’Connell

The Washington Redskins are allowing offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell to speak with other teams about an offensvie coordinator role.

Early in the offseason, it appeared that the Redskins were strongly considering bringing back Kevin O’Connell to be their offensive coordinator.

Now, that possibility is looking less likely.

According to The MMQB’s Albert Breer, the Redskins are hiring former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Scott Turner to be their next coordinator.

Turner was with the Panthers the last two seasons and served as the team’s quarterbacks coach before taking over for his father, Norv, as the offensive coordinator at the end of the 2019 season following Rivera’s firing. He has a lot of experience in the NFL and high-level college football. Since 2011, he has worked with the Panthers, the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, and Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines.

With Turner likely in, that means that O’Connell will have to look for work elsewhere, as his offensive coordinator role is no longer available. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Redskins have granted O’Connell permission to speak with other teams about potential offensive coordinator openings.

O’Connell, a former third-round draft pick of the New England Patriots, has been connected to Josh McDaniels in the past and there’s a chance that he could join McDaniels’ staff as the offensive coordinator should he land a job with the Cleveland Browns.

Other connections for O’Connell include the New England Patriots, who will need an offensive coordinator if McDaniels leaves, and the New York Giants, who just hired Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge as their next coach.

It remains to be seen how Turner’s system will work in Washington. He helped Kyle Allen to succeed early last season in Carolina and with a healthy Cam Newton in tow, perhaps the offense would have been better. But Turner figured out how to best use the Panthers personnel at the end of last season despite their limited skill at quarterback and showcased creativity through some nice play designs.

The downside of choosing a new coordinator is that Dwayne Haskins will have to learn an entirely new system ahead of his second NFL season. That won’t necessarily stunt his growth, but it could take him a little bit of time before he gets fully comfortable in Turner’s system. Had the team kept O’Connell, things may have been easier for Haskins in that regard.

That said, Turner is still a young up-and-comer at the coordinator position and Rivera clearly trusts him. If things weren’t meant to be between Rivera and O’Connell, it’s good that the team decided to move on from him now as opposed to trying to work their way through a relationship that may not have worked.

We’ll see how things go with the Redskins on offense as the offseason goes along. But Turner has some young talent to work with and if he can successfully implement his scheme, things may work out just fine for the ‘Skins.