The Washington Commanders' decision to promote assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough to offensive coordinator (OC) came at the expense of Kliff Kingsbury. However, recent news from the Los Angeles Rams shows that the move cost them another coach: Brian Johnson.
Los Angeles finalized its staff for the 2026 campaign. They announced that Kingsbury, whom the Commanders surprisingly agreed to mutually part ways with on Jan. 6, will be their assistant head coach. And now, Johnson is officially following suit, reuniting with his ex-Washington ally on the NFC runner-up Rams.
Johnson is joining the Rams as a senior offensive assistant after spending the past two seasons as Washington's assistant head coach/pass game coordinator. Frankly, based on his track record, losing him to a conference rival may quietly be a blessing in disguise for the Commanders.
Brian Johnson low-key does Commanders a favor by following Kliff Kingsbury to the Rams
There was speculation that the Commanders could turn to Johnson as an in-house replacement for Kingsbury. The former's familiarity with head coach Dan Quinn and experience as a play-caller made the dots easy to connect. Nevertheless, Washington chose to go in a different direction with Blough, and the Rams may soon realize why.
If his forgetful one-year tenure as the Philadelphia Eagles' OC in 2023 is any indication, Johnson probably shouldn't be trusted as a high-ranking assistant. Their offense regressed mightily compared to the juggernaut that ranked third in scoring and total yards the year prior. Moreover, quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a career-high 15 interceptions.
To make matters worse (for the Rams), Johnson didn't do much to bolster his résumé in Washington. He doesn't get the credit Kingsbury and Quinn do for standout signal-caller Jayden Daniels' remarkable explosion onto the NFL scene. So, what exactly stood out to the Rams?
Perhaps the Rams' potential interest in drafting a potential successor to reigning MVP passer Matthew Stafford factored into the equation. Johnson has experience working closely with the position; he was Dak Prescott's quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State before serving the same role for the Eagles. Yet, is this who Los Angeles wants to have a hand in developing their heir apparent?
For what it's worth, a breakup felt inevitable once the Commanders elevated Blough, which has proven true. The Commanders reportedly allowed Johnson to "explore other opportunities" following the hire, which led him to the Rams.