Commanders Turn to Daronte Jones to Lead Defensive Rebuild

The Washington Commanders are closing in on a deal to make Minnesota Vikings assistant Daronte Jones their next defensive coordinator, according to multiple league reports. The move brings in a rising defensive mind to replace Joe Whitt Jr., who was dismissed earlier this month after two seasons and stripped of play-calling duties late in the year.

Jones’ Coaching Path and Rising Profile

Jones, 47, completed his third season in Minnesota as the club’s defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach under Brian Flores. The Vikings ranked near the top of the league in total defense in 2025 and placed inside the top ten in takeaways multiple times during Jones’ tenure. His work elevated his profile league-wide, leading to five defensive coordinator interviews during this hiring cycle alone. One coach who worked with Jones described his rise as “just a matter of time,” and evaluators held similarly strong opinions during the process.

Before Minnesota, Jones spent time in Cincinnati and Miami coaching defensive backs and corners, and he briefly left the NFL in 2021 to coordinate LSU’s defense, where he called plays. Prior to his professional stops, he spent more than a decade coaching in college after beginning his career in the Washington, D.C. area. A Maryland native and former Morgan State defensive back, Jones now returns close to home as he steps into his first NFL coordinator role.

Why Washington Made the Move

Head coach Dan Quinn prioritized experience when searching for a defensive coordinator and spoke with several established names, including Jonathan Gannon, Teryl Austin, Brian Flores, Dennard Wilson, Joe Cullen and Patrick Graham. Despite that push for experience, Jones’ command of the secondary, familiarity with modern coverage structures, and successful work under Flores made him a compelling fit for a defense in need of structural repair. Washington plummeted from the NFC Championship Game in 2024 to a 5-12 finish in 2025 while surrendering the most yards in the league and ranking 27th in scoring defense.

Quinn took over play-calling responsibilities midway through the season and stabilized some areas, but the collapse highlighted deeper issues in talent, communication, and coverage execution. Jones’ background in the secondary aligns with Washington’s need to modernize its coverage packages and develop young defensive backs.

What Comes Next for Washington

Jones joins new offensive coordinator David Blough, marking the first time in the Dan Quinn era that Washington will enter a season with first-time coordinators on both sides of the ball. The Commanders plan to emphasize young defensive talent through free agency and the draft, where they hold the seventh pick. Whether Quinn retains defensive play-calling duties or hands them to Jones remains unresolved, but Jones has prior experience calling plays during his season at LSU.

For Washington, the hire reflects both a reset and a gamble: a young coordinator with strong schematic credentials tasked with reviving a defense that fell apart just one year removed from contention. For Jones, it marks a homecoming and a long-awaited opportunity at the highest level.

More NFL: Giants Hire Dennard Wilson as Defensive Coordinator