Kliff Kingsbury's generating interest as expected on the 2025 hiring cycle. However, the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator isn't worrying about anything other than helping the team progress.
Kingsbury gained interview requests from the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears for their respective vacancies. The Jacksonville Jaguars are another team rumored to have interest in the former Arizona Cardinals head coach. He could have spoken to teams this week, but it's been quiet on that front with the Divisional Round clash against the Detroit Lions at the forefront of his mind.
Kliff Kingsbury won't take interviews while Commanders are in the playoffs
According to Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk — a report that Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network confirmed as accurate — Kingsbury chose not to interview with teams while the Commanders were still involved in the playoffs. The insider added that there doesn't appear much urgency from the coach to take a top job again.
"He’s still being paid into 2026 like a head coach, by the Cardinals. So there’s no financial urgency for him to become a head coach again. The urgency is to fully focus on the task at hand, which consists of playing the Lions on Saturday night. Only six days after the franchise’s first playoff win in 19 years. Kingsbury has, in the end, chosen to do what some believe the league should require all assistant coaches to do — spend their entire time and effort getting ready for the next game, without the distractions that come from preparing for interviews, lining up a tentative staff, and talking to another team about possibly becoming its next head coach."Mike Florio
This is true. It increases the chances that Kliff Kingsbury returns to the #Commanders as OC for next year. https://t.co/s9i9ipgf2y
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2025
Teams might not wait around on the off chance Kingsbury becomes more receptive. They have other candidates in the mix and need to confirm appointments sooner rather than later to begin their offseason plans. While others such as Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson from the Lions have held interviews virtually, Washington's play-caller went the other way.
This was the same approach deployed by defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. He's not going to speak with the New York Jets until after the Divisional Round. The no-nonsense coach believes he'd be doing a disservice to his players and the project if he allowed this to become a distraction.
#Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr on the news that the #Jets requested a HC interview with him:
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) January 15, 2025
“My whole focus is on Detroit. If I put any effort, any energy into anything else with this opportunity that we have, I’d be cheating these men…” pic.twitter.com/AzTukO47So
It's a sign of ever-changing times in Washington. Coaches and players have been quick to leave town the first chance they got under previous regimes. Dan Quinn's culture shift and the Commanders putting together a sensational first season of their new era has completely shifted the landscape.
There were doubts around the league as to whether Kingsbury wanted to take the plunge again during this hiring cycle. He wants to be a head coach again one day, but this environment is tough to leave. It's helped rediscover his love for coaching. And working with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels isn't too bad, either.
It would be surprising if Kingsbury didn't speak with teams once Washington's playoff exploits conclude. But if they manage to shock the NFL world and beat the Lions, interested parties could be waiting a while longer.
They could even look away entirely. Nobody associated with the Commanders will be complaining about that.