Kliff Kingsbury is reportedly under strong consideration to become an NFL head coach again when the 2026 hiring cycle begins. But after the Washington Commanders' latest torrid offensive outing against the Minnesota Vikings, any interested parties might want to think twice.
Jayden Daniels returned, but got dinged up again after what was already a sub-optimal performance. Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending ACL tear. But there was nobody more to blame for Washington's failings than Kingsbury.
And that won't go unnoticed around the league.
Kliff Kingsbury didn't do his head coaching chances much good in Commanders' latest debacle
Kingsbury, who has already had one underwhelming stint as a head coach, could be a popular name in the cycle this winter. You'd never know it from the game he called at U.S. Bank Stadium.
On Washington's opening drive, the Commanders reached the goal line with ease, thanks mainly to powerful runs by Chris Rodriguez Jr. Kingsbury then called three consecutive pass plays instead of even attempting to punch the ball in. The offense turned it over on downs after wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.'s drop in a critical fourth-down situation.
That was as close as the Commanders would come to scoring all afternoon. Next time they had the ball, they were trailing 14-0, and as he's done so often this year, Kingsbury abandoned the run altogether. Not exactly the best approach when your quarterback is returning from an injury and needs life to be as easy as possible for him.
Daniels had to carry the offense on his back again, and just as it did in his past two appearances, it overwhelmed him. For all the heat head coach Dan Quinn has (unfairly) taken for having his star quarterback on the field at all, Kingsbury's situational management was malpractice.
For as great a job as Kingsbury did last season in Washington, his coaching has been just as disappointing this year. Receivers aren't being schemed open. The creativity has been lacking. His playcalling decisions have been mind-bogglingly frustrating at times and have arguably cost the Commanders multiple games.
Injuries have contributed to the regression. More than anything, the rest of the league has figured him out, just as they did when he was with the Arizona Cardinals. It's no secret that Kingsbury comes with an expiration date, and time appears to be running out.
Last winter, Washington breathed a sigh of relief when no one hired Kingsbury away for a head coaching job. Now, Commanders fans should be hoping somebody does, but those odds are getting slimmer by the week.