The Washington Commanders received some good news after their NFC championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles less than two weeks ago: Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will return in 2025.
Multiple teams requested to interview Kingsbury for their head coaching vacancies, but he declined while the Commanders were in the playoffs. After the season, the New Orleans Saints were the only team that had yet to hire a coach, and Kingsbury chose not to interview with them, ensuring he’d be back with Jayden Daniels next season.
Kingsbury wasn’t the only Washington coach to receive interest elsewhere. Assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator Brian Johnson and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard interviewed for other offensive coordinator jobs. In contrast, assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough had requests from three teams, which Washington denied because it wasn’t a potential promotion to OC.
This is excellent news for Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Not only did Daniels break records throughout the year, but he also led the Commanders to their best season since 1991, 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl.
He had help, too. Kingsbury’s work with Daniels earned him praise from around the league, and the two developed a close relationship.
It’s inevitable that if Daniels and the Commanders have another terrific season in 2025, Kingsbury will likely receive offers he can’t refuse. Kingsbury is extremely happy in Washington but admitted he’d like to become a head coach again. However, it had to be the right situation.
Daniels has a plan to keep him around.
“It means a lot,” Daniels said when asked what it meant to have Kingsbury back in 2025.
“I always talk highly of Kliff, but if anybody asks me about it, I’ll try to say some bad things so (other teams) don’t hire him, selfishly.”
Daniels was joking, sort of.
Jayden Daniels on OC Kliff Kingsbury returning to the Washington Commanders:
“If anybody asked me about him, I’d try to say some bad things so (other teams) don’t hire him.” pic.twitter.com/Xf6a7IE8b7
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) February 7, 2025
“I love Kliff, man,” Daniels said.
The Commanders were one of the NFL’s best offenses, and Daniels helped Kingsbury shed the nonsensical “Kliff Cliff” talk in 2025.