Why Commanders HC Dan Quinn reportedly wanted to move on from Kliff Kingsbury

Shortly after it was learned on Tuesday that the Washington Commanders and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury had parted ways, a report shared that second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels and other members of the Washington offense were "blindsided" by the move. 

According to NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was responsible for the decision that seemingly shocked Daniels. 

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders had "fundamental disagreement"

"Kingsbury is massively popular with the players, including QB Jayden Daniels," Breer explained. "With that established, he and Quinn met on Tuesday to talk through the future. The divide was wedged between what the Commanders felt like Daniels needed to take the following steps as a quarterback...and where Kingsbury wanted to go with his unique scheme in 2026. There was fundamental disagreement there, which led to the mutual split." 

A 2024 first-round draft pick, Daniels earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors while playing under Kingsbury. More recently, however, Daniels missed time during the 2025 season with a sprained left knee and a right hamstring injury before he suffered a gruesome dislocated left elbow in early November. 

The Commanders shut Daniels down after he aggravated the elbow injury in Week 14. In the end, Daniels accumulated a record of 2-5 across seven starts during his second pro campaign.  

Do Commanders already have Kliff Kingsbury replacement in mind?

ESPN's John Keim also touched upon the Kingsbury-Commanders divorce. Keim wrote that "there was a divide in what style of offense to run moving forward, according to multiple team sources, with Quinn wanting to run the ball more to control the clock and help the defense."

According to Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan, former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski are among OC candidates who have already been linked with the Commanders. 

Meanwhile, Kingsbury could become a candidate for head-coaching jobs. The Giants and Tennessee Titans are two clubs searching for head coaches and have young quarterbacks (Jaxson Dart, Cam Ward) who could benefit from working with an advertised offensive guru such as Kingsbury.