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Commanders elevate David Blough to OC after Lions interest

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Mike Gianakos, ClutchPoints | Last updated Jan 9, 2026 8:00 PM ET

The Washington Commanders slogged through a disappointing, injury-marred campaign, finishing the season 5-12. The team failed to reach the playoffs after creating hope with a 12-5 finish in Jayden Daniels’ stellar debut last year.

Still, 2024’s run to the NFC Championship Game made an impression around the league. And Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough drew interest from the Detroit Lions as the team searches for a new offensive coordinator.

In an effort to keep the rising assistant coach in Washington, the Commanders have hired Blough as their new offensive coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Blough will take over for Kliff Kingsbury, who ran Washington’s offense for the last two seasons.

David Blough replaces Kliff Kingsbury as Commanders OC

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Dan Quinn fired Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. after the Commanders crashed back to earth in 2025. Daniels is rumored to be unhappy with Kingsbury’s dismissal. But Washington kept some continuity with the in-house hire of the team’s assistant QB coach.

Mike McDaniel was considered a potential candidate for the Commanders’ OC job before Blough’s promotion. The Miami Dolphins moved on from McDaniel after back-to-back losing seasons. And while he could get another head coaching opportunity, he was viewed as a strong fit to work with Daniels in Washington.

The Lions are on the hunt for an offensive coordinator after firing John Moron. The veteran coach took over as OC following Ben Johnson’s departure for the Chicago Bears last offseason. While Detroit finished the year with a top-five offense in total yards and scoring, Morton was stripped of his play-calling duties by Dan Campbell. The move did not pay off as the Lions missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Blough has ties to Detroit as a former quarterback. He spent the first three seasons of his playing career with the team. And Blough reunited with the Lions for his final NFL season in 2023. He began his coaching career the following year with the Commanders.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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