A few eyebrows were raised among Washington Commanders fans amid the nostalgia surrounding the hiring of D.J. Williams as their new quarterbacks coach. Of course, he is the son of franchise legend Doug Williams, which led some to speculate that this was an old-boys' club appointment with little substance.
That seemed a little harsh. Williams earned the right. Head coach Dan Quinn wouldn't have given this his seal of approval otherwise — not with the mounting pressure on his own job status. And if offensive coordinator David Blough believes this is the guy to help Jayden Daniels reach new heights, fans should trust his judgment.
It's easy to pick apart anything related to the Commanders right now. However, a Washington legend shut down the criticism around Williams' hire with some added information fans should take on board.
Commanders hired D.J. Williams on merit, not because of family ties
Former Washington player Brian Mitchell, citing conversations with people knowledgeable about what happened, revealed that Williams aced his interview on 106.7 The Fan with team insider JP Finlay. The new arrival got the job on merit, and any notion that he didn't is a discredit to the hard work he's put in to reach this point.
"He's been in the league, and from what I was told, blew the interview away, okay. I've had kids of mine get jobs in spots that people thought I had something to do with. I didn't have a damn thing to do with it. I never knew they were applying for those jobs, and they gotthem, off their own merit. Based on the things I was told, this is exactly the same thing."Brian Mitchell
DJ Williams is the Commanders' new QB coach. Yes, he's Doug Williams' son, but he's earned this. 6-7 years in the NFL and crushed the interview. It's about merit, not just family ties. #NFL #Commanders #DJWilliams #DougWilliams #Football #Coaching pic.twitter.com/Cea6LlpyB0
— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) January 15, 2026
There is an emotional connection, of course. But the Commanders are not in the business of sentiment after their 2025 campaign fell by the wayside. If they thought Mike Bercovici or someone else was better suited to the job, they'd have gone in a different direction.
Mitchell is well-connected in the building. If he's heard that Williams knocked everyone's socks off in his interview, that should be enough for those skeptical of the hire. And it's not like he's a rookie coach learning on the job; he's been in the league for years with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. His connection to the organization is just the icing on the cake.
Everyone is on edge with massive alterations already underway. But for Williams, the job is pretty simple.
Help Daniels get back to his rookie form, and the doubters will vanish as quickly as they arrived.