Breaking Down Commanders' Head of Football Ops Candidates

Who will Josh Harris hire to lead the Washington Commanders?

The Washington Commanders are breaking new ground under owner Josh Harris. 

As Harris enters his first offseason as owner of the Commanders, he has a chance to put his first major stamp on the organization with whom he hires as the head of football operations. Whoever he hires will have their hands full with deciding what to do with the Commanders front office and who they want to hire as head coach. 

Once those major decisions are settled, they'll turn their focus to free agency and the draft, and they'll have plenty of ammunition to make moves with the most cap space in the NFL and three picks in the top 45 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

"We're looking for the best people to build an elite franchise that's going to consistently compete and win championships," Harris said. "That's our goal. In terms of the structure, I start with talent. You want the best talent, and sometimes you let the talent influence the structure."

Here are the candidates Harris and his partners, plus advisors Bob Myers and Rick Spielman, are interviewing as of right now to lead Washington into its new era. 

Josh Harris with Ron Rivera / USA Today Sports

Adam Peters - San Francisco 49ers Assistant GM

Adam Peters is one of the more sought-after candidates in this cycle with good reason. 

You don't need to look much further than the roster San Francisco has put together as it has become a perennial Super Bowl contender. Peters, who won three Super Bowls from his two previous stops, came close to landing the New York Giants general manager job in 2022, interviewing twice and being among the three finalists before they hired Joe Schoen. 

The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers have also requested to interview Peters for their general manager position. 

Peters, 42, previously spent time with the New England Patriots (2003-2008) and Denver Broncos (2009-2016) before joining the 49ers when they hired John Lynch as their general manager in 2017. Peters was the 49ers' vice president of player personnel for four seasons before becoming the assistant general manager in 2021.

Few organizations are better to pull from than the 49ers, and landing Peters as the head of football operations would be a monumental first hire for Harris.

Peters interviewed for the job on Tuesday, per multiple reports.

Ian Cunningham - Chicago Bears Assistant GM

Cunningham has also become a popular name in general manager searches, as he's landed requests from the Chargers to interview for their vacancy. 

Cunningham, 38, began his career with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was a Southwest and Southeast area scout from 2008-2017. He then left Baltimore to join the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 and worked his way up the ranks, going from director of college scouting (2017-2019) to assistant director of player personnel (2019-2021) to director of player personnel for one season before joining the Bears alongside general manager Ryan Poles in 2022. 

Cunningham's history in organizations like the Ravens and Eagles helps his case. The Ravens and Eagles each won a Super Bowl while he was there, and the Bears are trending in the right direction after winning five of their last seven games to close the 2023 season. 

Given Cunningham's history at winning organizations and now rebuilding one, that experience could be especially attractive to Harris and his team. 

Cunningham will interview for the job on Wednesday.

Mike Borgonzi - Kansas City Chiefs Assistant GM

Borgonzi has spent his entire front-office career in the NFL with the Chiefs since he joined them in 2009.  

Borgonzi has worn many hats for Kansas City, holding roles as the college scouting administrator (2009), manager of football operations in 2010, pro personnel scout (2011-2012) and assistant director of pro scouting (2013-2014).

He then became the co-director of player personnel (2015-2016) alongside Kansas City's current general manager Brett Veach. Borgonzi was the director of player personnel in 2017, then was promoted to director of player personnel the following season (2018-2020). He became the assistant GM in 2021 and has held the position since then. 

Few have managed to stick in one organization despite the constant turnover like Borgonzi has, and few teams are better at drafting prospects who make an immediate impact than the Chiefs. Borgonzi was also one of the directors of personnel when Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes. 

Given that Washington could have its eyes franchise quarterback in the draft and is in a position to do so with the No. 2 overall pick, Borgonzi being a part of the team that landed Mahomes could be a feather in his cap. 

Borgonzi interviewed for the job on Tuesday.

Josh Harris Aiming For 'Rapid But Thorough' Search For For Head of Football Ops And Coach

Glenn Cook - Cleveland Browns Assistant GM & Vice President of Player Personnel

Cook is another name who has been popular in general manager searches, garnering multiple interviews last year. He interviewed with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and Tennessee Titans in 2023. 

Cook was a scout for the Indianapolis Colts (2011-2012) and Geen Bay Packers (2012-2015) before joining the Browns in 2016 as the assistant director of pro scouting. He held that position until 2020 when Andrew Berry became Cleveland's general manager. 

With Berry in the fold, Cook was promoted to assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel and has held those positions since then. Cleveland is making its second postseason appearance since Cook made that promotion and has been buoyed by one of the most dominant defenses this season. 

Cook's ability to balance duties as both an assistant GM and VP of player personnel could be a sign of his ability to handle multiple responsibilities. The ability to manage many roles is something that figures to be a focal point for whoever becomes the head of football operations, which could give him a leg up in Harris' search.

Cook interviewed for the job on Tuesday.

Alec Halaby - Philadelphia Eagles Assistant GM

Similar to Borgonzi, Halaby has spent his entire NFL career with just one franchise. 

Halaby got his start in the NFL as an intern in the Eagles' football operations in 2007 and 2009. He impressed the Philadelphia brass enough to join the staff as a player personnel analyst from 2010-2011 and became the special assistant to the general manager from 2012-2015. 

From there, he became the vice president of football operations and strategy and held the position for six seasons (2016-2021). He was promoted to assistant general manager in 2022. 

While poaching from a rival is always nice, the proof is in the pudding with the Eagles' roster building. They have one of the most talented rosters in football and are coming off a Super Bowl appearance in the 2022 season. 

Along with the franchise's roster building, they've proven to be adept at accumulating high draft capital and knowing when to use it on blue-chip players like defensive tackle Jalen Carter in 2023, and when to trade them, like when they gave up a 1st and 3rd round pick for receiver A.J. Brown. 

The ability to manage the draft and acquire talent should help give Halaby a leg up in the Commanders' search.   

Halaby will interview for the job on Wednesday.