The Commanders are looking to steal assistant coach from defensive coordinator who turned them down

The Commanders missed out on Brian Flores, so now they’re looking to steal his assistant coach, Daronte Jones, as the next defensive coordinator.

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
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The Washington Commanders are looking under every rock in their search for a new defensive coordinator, and there’s a new name on the list now.

They’ve already missed out on Jonathan Gannon and Brian Flores, and the search continues with names that haven’t been considered before. A lot of the experienced options are off the board, so they might have to turn to a first-time defensive coordinator and play caller to run the Commanders’ defense.

The latest options would be a hire that takes away a key assistant coach for one candidate who turned them down to stay on their current team.

The Commanders are set to interview Daronte Jones for their defensive coordinator position

The Commanders have a long list of defensive coordinator candidates, but it continues to grow as other teams hire targets on Washington’s list. After Flores turned down the Commander just to stay with the Minnesota Vikings as the defensive coordinator, Washington has reached out to one of his top assistants for an interview. If you can’t get the top guy, then go after his proteges, and the Commanders are doing so by interviewing Vikings defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones.

Jones has been with the Vikings since 2022 and was kept by Flores when he took over in 2023, so you know he thinks highly of Jones to help run his defensive system at a high level. He’s also a Maryland native, so the thought of returning to the DMV area might be enough for Jones to make the move over. It would also be a massive promotion for Jones, and one that may be too good to pass up.

Daronte Jones is looking for his first defensive coordinator job

Jones has never been a defensive coordinator or called his own plays as a 47-year-old assistant coach, and it could be a huge promotion after working under one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL. The Vikings allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the NFL in 2025 and the seventh-lowest completion percentage. Jones would bring over a defense that focuses on match quarters and Cover 3 defense, and the biggest strength comes from the secondary. The Vikings also bring a lot of different pressure looks, and that’s been missing from the Commanders.

But, just like a lot of other top candidates, Jones has many options around the league, with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers also eyeing him as a hot candidate for their own defensive coordinator positions. The Commanders need to swing big and make a strong impression on why their defensive coordinator position should be enticing for a first-time defensive coordinator.

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