Kliff Kingsbury is focused on preparing his offense for their Divisional Round playoff game at the Detroit Lions this weekend. That hasn't stopped the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator's name from coming up in head coaching discussions around the league.
This is the price of success for the Commanders. They are no longer the league's laughingstock and are on a fairytale run under the new regime. That's always going to come with alluring glances from others looking to capture this magic.
Kingsbury already has interview requests from the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. He's highlighted a desire to become an NFL head coach again one day. Whether that's this year or into the future wasn't disclosed by the play-caller.
Cowboys insider links Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury with Dallas vacancy
Another team could throw their hat into the ring. The Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy went their separate ways failing to reach a compromise. Nick Harris from the Dallas Fort Worth Star-Telegram named Kingsbury among the candidates who'll likely come under consideration.
"[Kliff] Kingsbury could be looking to come back to his home state of Texas if interest is shown. With a big quarterback contract put into Dak Prescott and a cemented star at wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb, maximizing the offensive side of the ball is going to make a lot of sense when factoring in the next head coach. With that, Kingsbury will be a name to watch. His NFL coaching record sits at 28-37-1 with a postseason record of 0-1. But in 2024, he called an offense that was responsible for possible offensive rookie of the year Jayden Daniels leading the Commanders into the playoffs and the fifth-best scoring offense in the league. His revival in Washington has drawn the interest of coaching vacancies around the league."Nick Harris
Speculation is reaching exponential levels regarding Jerry Jones potentially making Deion Sanders his next head coach. A conversation occurred between the two and the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback is intrigued. Whether it's a compatible match is the big question.
Others will also come under the microscope. Jones is a known fan of Kingsbury, so weakening a division rival by bringing him into the fold warrants a conversation. But again, this is entirely dependent on his willingness to take the plunge once again.
Kingsbury's got the luxury of being selective. He's in a good place within a vibrant atmosphere. He's working with one of the league's most accomplished young quarterbacks — rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. He's also still getting paid by the Arizona Cardinals, so he doesn't have the urgency to leave for the first job that comes along.
For all of Jones' mismanagement of team affairs and Dallas' perennial underachievement over the last two decades, the Cowboys brand remains a big draw. They are the NFL's most valuable franchise and have talent on both sides of the ball. But Kingsbury is more used to working with young quarterbacks rather than a proven commodity like Dak Prescott, who they are tied to thanks to the record-breaking contract extension he signed before the campaign.
The Commanders must be ready for anything. If an interview request does arrive from the Cowboys, it wouldn't be the biggest shock all things considered.
After that, it's up to Kingsbury.