The Washington Commanders are giving their fans quite a jolt of energy on this Saturday afternoon.
Following the shocking news that they could swoop in and snag Kliff Kingsbury from the Las Vegas Raiders, another offensive coordinator candidate is emerging. And he’s someone the team has gotten to know fairly well over the last couple of years.
“The Commanders are expected to interview former Eagles OC Brian Johnson for their open OC job,” Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report posted on X. Johnson is only a year removed from playing a key role in Jalen Hurts’ meteoric rise to stardom. Could he regain his footing with his former NFC East foe.
Considering how Kingsbury’s expected deal with Las Vegas abruptly came undone, and Washington’s immediate pursuit thereafter, it stands to reason he is the favorite to land this position. The USC senior offensive analyst wasted little time in interviewing with the the team. New head coach Dan Quinn is doing his due diligence, however, as he looks to fill out his staff.
The potential case for Brian Johnson to be Commanders OC
Johnson, much like Kingsbury, has made a name for himself through his ability to work with dual-threat quarterbacks. He served as the QBs coach when the Eagles reached the Super Bowl in 2022-23 but faced immense scrutiny after being elevated to the offensive coordinator role this past season. He was made out to be one of the “fall guys,” or “bad guys” as wide receiver AJ Brown put it, following Philadelphia’s sudden and steep collapse.
Despite his firing, Brian Johnson still comes with upside. If he were to beat out Kliff Kingsbury for the position, the 36-year-old will be heavily involved in developing the Commanders’ next quarterback (have the No. 2 pick in draft).
While no decision has been made, any hope fans may have had about OC Eric Bieniemy being retained during this regime change is gone. Change is coming to Washington D.C., but as is often the case when that phrase is exclaimed, it remains to be seen how things will go.
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