Dan Quinn is putting his pride aside to swing big for the Commanders’ next defensive coordinator, but it won’t be easy
The Commanders are trying to land the biggest hire of the offseason by swinging for Brian Flores, who is the top defensive coordinator candidate on the market.
The Washington Commanders already promoted David Blough as the new offensive coordinator, and now they need to focus on defense.
Head coach Dan Quinn finally cut ties with Joe Whitt Jr. as the defensive coordinator, and he has to fix the defense this offseason, especially as a defensive head coach. Nailing the defensive coordinator hire could be the move that saves Quinn’s job in Washington, or be the nail in the coffin.
The Commanders have been linked to top candidates such as Jonathan Gannon, but the latest candidate would be the biggest swing this coaching cycle, and the best hire possible.
Commanders are trying to interview Brian Flores for the defensive coordinator position
The Commanders desperately need to fix the defense after being one of the worst in the league last year, and the latest news would work miracles on that side of the ball. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Commanders are hoping to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for their own opening.
This would be a massive hire on so many levels, and the best-case scenario this offseason for the Commanders. Flores would run his own defense, call his own plays, and have a huge hand in the roster moves this offseason. It means Quinn would have to be ok with giving full control to Flores, who is already one of the biggest names in the coaching cycle this offseason.
Flores is the top defensive coordinator candidate on the market this offseason, and he would instantly become the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL and be worth every penny. His contract is up this offseason, and he will have many options, so the Commanders will need to pay up and make a hard push for him. Flores is set to interview for the Baltimore Ravens’ head coaching position and many other defensive coordinator positions, so his demand is very high around the league.
Brian Flores would be a home run hire for the Commanders
We saw how bad the Commanders’ defense was this season, and Flores is an instant fix to any team he joins. He took the Miami Dolphins’ defense from No. 32 in the league to No. 8 in the league, and did the same thing for the Vikings. They had the No. 17 defense in 2023 and quickly became the No. 3 defense in the league last season.
The Vikings allowed the second-lowest passing yards per game in the NFL at just 158 yards, while the Commanders were fifth-worst at 242 passing yards per game. They also allowed the seventh fewest points per game at a 19.6 average, while the Commanders allowed 26.5 points per game. The Vikings’ defense carried the team this season with the offensive struggles they faced. We’ve seen with the Houston Texans and New England Patriots just how much a dominant defense helps a young quarterback, and Flores could fix the disaster in Washington.
The Commanders need to do everything possible to hire Flores, and it’ll cost a lot of money, full control of the defense, possibly an assistant coach title, and Quinn putting his pride aside for the betterment of the team.
Washington Commanders News
Commanders set to interview two coaches with connections to Washington for David Blough’s first staff as offensive coordinator
David Blough is starting to put together interviews for his first staff with two QB coach candidates to work with Jayden Daniels, who already has a connection to Washington.
