A disagreement between head coach Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury led to both sides going their separate ways. The Washington Commanders are now looking for a new offensive coordinator, while the play-caller was thought to have his sights set on a head coaching role.
The fact that Washington got rid of Kingsbury even before a top job offer — or even an interview request — arrived was a damning indictment of the fractured relationships behind the scenes. Some experts wondered whether this would hurt his chances of generating interest elsewhere, but that notion soon flipped.
According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans have formally requested to speak with Kingsbury about their respective head-coaching vacancies. Both franchises are interviewing several others for the same opportunity, so he will need to wow those in the room when he gets the chance.
Kliff Kingsbury already has head coach interviews after abrupt Commanders exit
The Titans need someone to develop No. 1 pick Cam Ward, and Kingsbury has proven credentials in this area. He's helped Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels become highly impactful performers. If he lays out a map to take the Miami product's game up a notch, that could be enough for the AFC South club to take the plunge.
Baltimore's opening is arguably the most coveted league-wide after ending John Harbaugh's 18-year stint as head coach. They have an NFL MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson, who has grown tired of Todd Monken's scheme. There are flaws in Kingsbury's approach, too, but he always finds a way to find immediate success before things begin to tail off.
If Kingsbury does get one of these jobs, and more requests may be coming, that would be a slap in the face to Quinn. It would also raise the urgency of finding the right replacement, which is already through the roof amid increasing pressure on his own job.
Mike McDaniel would be the obvious candidate after he was fired by the Miami Dolphins, but others are already circling. They could keep the hire in-house with David Blough, which is intriguing but underwhelming. There are several other potential candidates worth considering. Still, what cannot be disputed is how pivotal the next moves are for Quinn.
Because if he fails and Kingsbury thrives in a head-coaching role for the second time around, that will reflect extremely poorly on Quinn.
And it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what comes next in this scenario.