The Washington Commanders' decision to promote David Blough to replace Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator is a gamble of epic proportions from head coach Dan Quinn.
If it comes off, he'll look like a genius. If it blows up in his face, Quinn will be seeking alternative employment this time next year.
There is no real middle ground. Pressure is building, and the margin for error is gone for Quinn. Blough is highly regarded within the building and around the league, but it is a significant step-up in responsibilities that could go either way.
This could also cause a ripple effect.
Brian Johnson could be the next to leave Commanders after being overlooked for OC job
Mark Bullock, who now covers the team independently after previously working for The Athletic, didn't think assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator Brian Johnson would be too happy about being passed over for someone who was assistant quarterbacks coach only a few weeks ago. That led the analyst to wonder whether he could be around when preparations for the 2026 campaign gather pace.
"[David] Blough is the first domino to fall here. I fully expect there to be more changes to the coaching staff. I can’t imagine Brian Johnson, for example, is pleased about being passed over for the job by the inexperienced assistant quarterbacks coach. He may look to leave and pursue other opportunities now."Mark Bullock
Johnson has previous play-calling experience. He's also worked closely with quarterback Jayden Daniels and was interviewed for the job. The Commanders went with Blough, presumably because other clubs — the Detroit Lions were among them — were looking to lure him away from Washington. And as Bullock stated, this is merely the first offensive staffing domino to fall in the wake of Kingsbury's abrupt departure.
There is a simple decision for Johnson to make. Either he sucks it up and gets back with the program, or he decides that he's not being appreciated enough and leaves.
Of course, the Commanders may take this decision out of his hands. Blough may have his own ideas for the staff. Adding some experience could be an option to consider, given he's never called offensive plays before. If that means making Johnson surplus to requirements for preferred guys, it's a small price to pay for progress.
There is plenty of uncertainty among all staff, aside from Quinn, Blough, and possibly special teams coordinator Larry Izzo, right now. But after a campaign that promised dreams of another deep postseason run and ended in massive failure across the board, they should have expected nothing less.
And Johnson, like everyone else, is in a sink-or-swim scenario.