Much of the speculation has centered on whether offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will get a head coaching job during the 2026 hiring cycle. However, a bombshell insider report suggests that the Washington Commanders might be planning to fire the play-caller regardless.
Kingsbury has taken some heat this season for his offensive play-calling. He's not had things easy without quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin for significant periods of the campaign, but this isn't expected to diminish interest from teams looking for a new head coach to spearhead their possible renaissance.
After rejecting the chance to take interviews last year, all signs point to Kingsbury being more receptive to approaches this time around. And if Dianna Russini's recent revelations are accurate, it's not hard to see why.
Commanders are reportedly considering moving on from Kliff Kingsbury in 2026
The senior insider at The Athletic revealed that the Commanders have discussed moving on from Kingsbury, whether or not he lands another head-coaching job. And some in the building reportedly told Russini that the relationship between the coordinator and general manager, Adam Peters, has become frayed amid the constant doom and gloom.
"Washington has also had conversations about potentially moving on from [Kliff] Kingsbury even if he doesn’t get a head-coaching job. Some in the building say there’s been a disconnect between Kingsbury and general manager Adam Peters. When was the last time we were watching to see if an offensive coordinator was going to get fired while he was also preparing for head coaching interviews? We’ll see how this shakes out. The Commanders likely won’t make any final decisions until they see how the broader coaching market develops."Dianna Russini
This is a startling development. Most Commanders fans thought Kingsbury would be around if another team didn't take the plunge. They were more focused on the almost inevitable firing of defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Now, it seems as if everything is up in the air.
Firing both coordinators in the same offseason is pretty unusual, but not entirely uncommon. This would also signify that the pressure in the building is greater than anyone connected to the franchise initially envisaged, placing Quinn firmly on the hot seat in 2026.
Kingsbury, like most others, acquired enough good graces last season to get the benefit of the doubt. Even so, if there is a genuine disconnect with Peters, it will only end one way.
Whether anything comes from this report remains to be seen. But as the old saying goes, there is no smoke without fire.