Firing Joe Whitt Jr. always seemed inevitable, long before Dan Quinn demoted the defensive coordinator from play-calling duties. As it turned out, the coach wasn't out of work for long.
The Washington Commanders' defense made no significant strides under Whitt's guidance. Quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie surge papered over countless cracks during the 2024 campaign as Quinn's squad reached the NFC Championship game. When the signal-caller suffered injury problems that restricted him to just seven games this time around, the problems were magnified greatly.
Even though the defense didn't make any notable improvements when Quinn took over, the writing was on the wall for Whitt. He was made surplus to requirements when the campaign concluded. After a painstaking search, the Commanders eventually hired Daronte Jones to replace him.
Joe Whitt Jr. lands on his feet quickly after Commanders departure
Whitt was on the proverbial scrapheap. There was no chance of getting a defensive coordinator job again, but a startling development elsewhere gave him the window he needed to get right back into the mix.
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Pittsburgh Steelers are hiring Whitt as assistant head coach/secondary coach. This is an emotional reunion with new head coach Mike McCarthy, and it's the second former member of Washington's staff to join the AFC North club.
McCarthy and Whitt developed a strong working relationship during their time together on the Green Bay Packers. This strong bond obviously carried a ton of weight, and the recently fired coach will now have the chance to galvanize his career by raising the standard of a decent secondary with a storied franchise.
There will be another familiar face ready to greet him in Pittsburgh. Jason Simmons, the Commanders' defensive backs coach for the last two seasons, took the same job with the Steelers soon after Jones was hired in Washington. Like Whitt, he also worked with McCarthy on the Packers, so this familiarity will smooth the transition for all three as they look to hit the ground running.
This is probably a role where Whitt is best suited. He wasn't cut out to be a defensive play-caller; that much is obvious. However, his work with defensive backs was accomplished before he received a promotion under Quinn. McCarthy is banking on this trend continuing as the Steelers retool rather than undergo a full-scale rebuild.
As for the Commanders? They are entering a new, potentially profitable defensive era, with Jones leading the charge. If general manager Adam Peters provides him with the tools needed, this should be a match made in heaven.
Those plans didn't include Whitt, but at least he landed on his feet quickly.