Many questions chase the Washington Commanders into the 2024 season as the Dan Quinn era rebuild around second-overall pick Jayden Daniels gets underway.
One of those questions is about new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who is returning to the NFL after a brief hiatus in college with USC.
In his recent mailbag, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer fielded a question about whether Commanders fans should be concerned about Kingsbury’s offense:
“Nick, I don’t think so. One thing I was told pretty consistently by coaches over a two- or three-year period was that Kingsbury’s offense was tough to prepare for because it was so different than what most NFL teams do. It’s also a really good fit for what Daniels brings to the table—and I’d expect Daniels to be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year.”
Questions about Kingsbury from fans are understandable after his tenure with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-2022, in which he seemingly arrived via the Sean McVay effect after little pro experience and struggled to get the most out of No. 1 pick Kyler Murray. He posted one winning season with a 28-37-1 overall record and was fired the same year he signed a six-year extension.
Even so, Kingsbury isn’t the head coach in Washington and he’s free to focus on the offense, where Daniels has looked good so far and has solid weapons such as Terry McLaurin and Austin Ekeler, among others.
Perhaps the better question is whether Kingsbury can scheme well around obvious issues in the offensive trenches in front of Daniels. And on that front, the only real answer will be on-field results.
That said, it probably doesn't help the outlook that his offense just lost a recent first-round pick, either.
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