The Washington Commanders confirmed the appointments of two new coaches to Dan Quinn's prolific staff team heading into the 2025 offseason.
One, assistant special teams coach Brian Schneider, brings a wealth of experience to the table. He's been a coordinator and remains highly regarded in league circles despite being fired by the San Francisco 49ers.
The other? Not so much.
In an eye-catching move, the Commanders hired Jesse Madden to be the team's offensive quality control coach. If the name sounds familiar, it should.
He's the grandson of the late, great John Madden. An iconic figure in NFL history, Madden was a Super Bowl champion head coach with the Oakland Raiders before embarking on a legendary commentary career. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and died aged 85 in 2021.
Jesse Madden secures place on Commanders coaching staff in 2025
Jesse Madden is now attempting to carve out his path. He's been fast-tracked to the NFL after recently graduating from Michigan. He was part of the Wolverines' roster but played just one game in 2021, which his grandad got to see on television against Northern Illinois three months before his death. There was no internship or working his way up. It was an immediate opportunity in the league with one of its most storied franchises.
It's not what you know, it's who you know.
There's no doubt the famous Madden name got his foot in the door. These opportunities don't arrive for typical graduates looking to make their way in the coaching circle. While the offensive quality control is pretty low down the pecking order, it's a better start than most get to begin their journeys.
Quinn is an experienced coach with glowing credentials. He's got good contacts around the league and is widely respected. If he was happy enough with Madden's interview and satisfied with the references he received, that should be enough for fans to trust the decision.
Madden is a renowned student of the game. He learned a lot from his grandfather, including the need to put in the time with an unmatched work ethic. And as we all know, that's the sort of commitment Quinn loves.
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Madden is more high-profile than most offensive quality control coaches. That comes with the territory with such a fantastic football family legacy. Keeping this to one side and focusing on growth is crucial.
Whether he's deserving or not is irrelevant. The Commanders are not a charity. If they didn't feel like he had something to offer in this specific role, they wouldn't have appointed him.
It's that simple.
And who knows, this might be the start of a profitable coaching career to enhance the Madden name even further. Time will tell on that one.
We wish him well…