Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury Already Making His Mark in Return to NFL

Things are looking different for the Washington Commanders this season, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is a big part of it.

The former Arizona Cardinals head coach and now USC Trojans assistant coach Kliff Kingsbury talks to / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

Kliff Kingsbury took some time away from the NFL before returning this season as the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, and in the meantime helped coach USC quarterback Caleb Williams who eventually became the future of the Chicago Bears franchise this April.

Now with the Commanders, Kingsbury's next task will be helping former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels become a franchise savior. Do that and he'll almost assuredly get another crack at being an NFL head coach.

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We've only had the opportunity to witness two Washington practices with Kingsbury running head coach Dan Quinn's offense, but the changes from years past to now are already evident.

“Man, it's fun, it's fun, love it," Daniels said about working with coach Kingsbury at the team's rookie minicamp. "I mean, just the open communication, open dialogue, having those guys around me. Obviously, coached at the highest level, played too, so different set of eyes, man. So, I'm trying to be a sponge and learn as much as possible.”

One of the more impactful changes on the practice field might seem trivial in ways, but signifies a shift in football theology from saddling the athletic ability of quarterbacks in the past to emphasizing that ability, starting with Daniels.

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels pic.twitter.com/yvNRiR1p5u

— David Harrison (@DHarrison82) May 12, 2024

The drill emphasizes quarterback footwork and ball security while simulating movement up and down the pocket, left to right, and finally rolling out to deliver an accurate pass into one of three holes on a net.

And it's precisely the kind of drill observers have been wishing for as quarterbacks like Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell had their athletic abilities restricted by a deliberate lack of movement in the Commanders' game plan.

"Explosive and physical," Quinn said when asked what he wanted his team to be. "The explosive comes offensively and on the return game from big plays, through the run game, through play action, through the passing game, ones that can change field position."

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Daniels was responsible for more explosive plays in college football last season than any other quarterback, part of the reason he won the Heisman Trophy, and coach Kingsbury is clearly looking to tap into every part of what made his new quarterback one of the most electric the NCAA has seen.

The combination is drumming up a ton of excitement in the nation's capital, and has everyone itching to get to the next step in team development, and to get a glimpse of what this new explosive offense just might really look like.

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