The Washington Commanders are navigating staffing changes following the departures of both coordinators. Dan Quinn's search for the correct Joe Whitt Jr. replacement is ongoing, but the offense is already in new hands after David Blough was promoted in a stunning leap of faith.
Washington is confident Blough has the innovative ideas needed for a significant step-up in responsibilities. He's never called plays before, so putting the right staff in place alongside him is vital. That all started with the quarterbacks coach, and D.J. Williams was the guy after reportedly knocking his interview out of the park.
Williams is the son of iconic former Washington quarterback Doug Williams, but he got the job on merit. However, a new report suggests the Commanders were blindsided in their attempts to lure another candidate to the franchise before ultimately going with their eventual choice.
Panthers acted swiftly to prevent Mike Bercovici from joining the Commanders
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Carolina Panthers promoted Mike Bercovici to the role of pass-game coordinator. This was swift action to keep the promising young coach around, stemming from the Commanders submitting an interview request for their then-vacant quarterbacks coach position.
"The Panthers are promoting assistant QBs coach Mike Bercovici to pass-game coordinator. Bercovici recently interviewed for the Commanders QBs coach job but will now stay in Carolina in an elevated role, as the Panthers maintain offensive continuity coming off an NFC South division title. The 32-year-old is viewed as a future OC candidate in league circles."Jordan Schultz
Bercovici was highly regarded by the Panthers after being one of the very few offensive coaches to be retained from Frank Reich's staff. They didn't want to lose him, and this represents a significant step up from his previous position as assistant quarterbacks coach. It's a sign of how highly Carolina values his input. And as Schultz said, people around the league believe he will one day become an offensive coordinator.
This indicates that the Commanders wouldn't have been able to secure Bercovici's services, even if they wanted to. While the progressive young coach was probably enticed by the prospect of working with Jayden Daniels again after they crossed paths at Arizona State, this opportunity was one he couldn't turn down.
Whether this altered the Commanders' path is anyone's guess. They were reportedly impressed with Williams and moved quickly to get something worked out. What's done is done; this is all about moving forward positively to ensure this team is ready to hit the ground running during a make-or-break campaign for Quinn in 2026.
Bercovici was a target, but circumstances prevented the Commanders from pulling the trigger. He may not have gotten the job in any case, but the Panthers pulled out all the stops to end this possibility before it began.
That's all part of the business.