The Washington Commanders stayed within the NFC East to hire their new head coach, Dan Quinn, who had served as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator for the previous three seasons before making the move to the nation's capital. Now, as Quinn works to fill out his new Commanders staff, he's following suit, turning to a former division rival to join his offensive staff.
“The Commanders are expected to hire former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson to a prominent offensive staff role,” per a source of ESPN senior reporter Jeremy Fowler. “Johnson, who guided Philly’s offense last year, interviewed for several head coaching jobs this cycle.”
Brian Johnson comes to Washington after three years on Nick Sirianni's staff in Philadelphia. Johnson, a former starting quarterback and 2009 Sugar Bowl MVP for the Utah Utes, started with Philadelphia as their quarterbacks and wide receivers coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
Under the guidance and play-calling of Johnson, the Eagles offense didn't come close to reaching the heights they did the season prior under offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. In points per game, yards per game, and passing yards per game, Philly's offense was down across the board from 2022. After a 10-1 start that was aided by a handful of tight, some would say fortunate wins, the Eagles fell apart down the stretch, losing five of their final six regular season games and getting blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.
Predictably, Johnson was one of the scapegoats of this collapse, and was promptly fired at the conclusion of the season. After interviewing for both the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers head coaching jobs — filled by Brian Callahan and Dave Canales respectively — Johnson will land in Washington, where it will be Kliff Kingsbury, not Johnson, who is calling the plays for the Commanders offense. With Kingsbury serving as the play-caller, it may allow Brian Johnson to return to his natural role as a quarterbacks coach.
The Commanders own the second overall pick in the NFL Draft and will likely be selecting their quarterback of the future with that choice. Having steady and established presences like Kliff Kingsbury and Brian Johnson in the quarterback room will be key as the Commanders look to climb out of the basement of the NFC East.
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