Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the team's head coaching search moves closer to reaching a long-awaited conclusion?
After a dramatic Championship Sunday, the Washington Commanders have a clear run at their shortlisted head coaching candidates. All four are free to take the job immediately after the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens were eliminated from Super Bowl contention at the final hurdle. Another name is also in the mix, but something could be officially confirmed in the next 48 hours one way or another.
While we wait for the landmark news, the stories causing conversation include Ben Johnson's status, Ron Rivera being linked with another NFC East team as he looks for an immediate return to employment, another mock draft tipping Washington to draft Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall, and a busy week ahead for those in power.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders' busy week ahead
Josh Harris, general manager Adam Peters, and other members of the Washington Commanders' hiring committee have a busy week ahead. Interviews are officially permitted with head coaching candidates who were involved in Championship Sunday. All four can take over right away after their respective losses.
On Monday, the Commanders will spend time speaking with Anthony Weaver and Mike Macdonald of the Baltimore Ravens. This will be swiftly followed by the Detroit Lions pair of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn on Tuesday. Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is also set to interview for a second time.
The Seattle Seahawks are the only remaining competition for head coaching candidates from a deep pool of options. Things will happen quickly in the coming days. One would be surprised if something wasn't confirmed by Tuesday evening all things considered.
Commanders free to launch on Ben Johnson
It looked for a long time as if the Washington Commanders might have to wait a little longer before making Ben Johnson their next head coach. The Detroit Lions were in complete control of their NFC Championship game at the San Francisco 49ers, taking a 24-7 lead into the half-time interval. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep up this momentum en route to a heartbreaking loss.
There is no time for Johnson to wallow in any self-pity. The Commanders will be speaking to the Lions' offensive coordinator on Tuesday. If everything goes well, he'll likely be the guy chosen to take this storied franchise forward.
Many believe this is already a foregone conclusion. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, nothing could be said with any great certainty given Washington's desire to find out more about the four other finalists.
"There are some who have viewed [Ben] Johnson as the "presumptive favorite" for the Washington job, but multiple sources insist that is not true. While Johnson could land the Commanders head-coaching job, sources insist that there are other strong candidates -- most notably [Mike] Macdonald, [Anthony] Weaver, [Aaron] Glenn and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn -- who remain "very much in play.""Adam Schefter, ESPN
While nothing has been confirmed as yet, it's not hard to read between the lines. Several suitors pulled out in quick succession last week. That's probably a sign that Johnson's representatives had been in touch to inform them of his intent to either join the Commanders or Seattle Seahawks.
Time will tell. But thankfully, there isn't much longer to wait.
Commanders linked (again) with Jayden Daniels
Getting a new head coach into the building this week will officially turn everyone's attention to the player recruitment side of things. The Washington Commanders have a plethora of draft picks and the league's most salary-cap space as it stands. This puts them in a good position to speed up their rebuild if the correct foundations are laid.
This all starts at the quarterback position. Sam Howell's future looks bleak after things didn't go his way over the second half of the season. The Commanders have the No. 2 overall selection, probably leading them to one of the more gifted signal-callers emerging from the college ranks this spring.
Although many expect the Commanders to take Drake Maye - especially if Ben Johnson becomes head coach - Josh Edwards from CBS Sports was the latest to link Washington with Jayden Daniels in his latest mock draft.
"To this point, I think everyone's assumption has been that Drake Maye is going to be taken second once Caleb Williams is gone. While I do believe that is the most likely outcome, it would be naïve not to acknowledge that other possibilities exist. Jayden Daniels had a better season in 2023 than Maye."Josh Edwards, CBS Sports
Daniels has some significant momentum after a sensational season at LSU that finished with a deserved Heisman Trophy. It took the prospect a while to put everything together, but he's got the physical attributes normally associated with modern-day quarterbacks and will come under scrutiny from the Commanders' perspective as part of their thorough evaluations.
Ron Rivera drawing interest from NFC East rival
It seems as if Ron Rivera's indifferent four years as Washington Commanders head coach hasn't altered the esteem in which he is held within the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles recently interviewed him for their once-vacant defensive coordinator position before they lured Vic Fangio from the Miami Dolphins. Another rival could also make a move based on a recent report.
Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network revealed that if Dan Quinn gets one of the two head coaching jobs available - the Commanders or Seattle Seahawks - the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for Rivera as a replacement for their current defensive coordinator based on comments via USA Today Sports.
"Here’s an interesting one: Ron Rivera has already interviewed for the Eagles’ defensive coordinator job. I’m told that the Cowboys have some interest in potentially looking into Rivera as their defensive coordinator if Dan Quinn leaves."Ian Rapoport via USA Today Sports
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: Kliff Kingsbury is likely to be an OC in the NFL in 2024; The #Ravens coaching staff is in demand this coaching cycle; If Dan Quinn gets a head coaching job, could Ron Rivera replace him with the #Cowboys? pic.twitter.com/neYoudGk4H
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 28, 2024
Rivera is still highly regarded as a sound defensive mind. He's also keen to continue his NFL journey and focus more on the coaching aspect after dealing with factors above his pay grade in Washington. This would be a tremendous landing spot for the former linebacker given the exceptional talent Dallas has across all three levels of its defensive unit.
Joining a division rival for his first season after being fired by the Commanders would add another level of spice to one of the league's most long-standing rivalries, that's for sure.