Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has put together an excellent debut season in Washington; his offense is ranked fourth in yards and fifth in points, while quarterback Jayden Daniels is the runaway favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Kingsbury’s success in Washington has placed him among the top head-coaching candidates in this offseason’s hiring cycle and seems open to another opportunity after a disappointing four seasons leading the Cardinals.
When asked about the subject on Thursday, Kingsbury said that he would want to be a head coach again “at some point,” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post), though he declined to comment on potential interviews this year.
Kingsbury is an obvious candidate for the Bears’ vacant head coaching position after serving as a senior offensive analyst at USC during Caleb Williams‘ final college season. The two have a “solid relationship,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, which will be crucial to getting the most out of the 2024 No. 1 overall pick after a false start of a rookie year.
Kingsbury is expected to interview in Chicago, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, though he may not be in a rush to leave Washington. His contract with the Cardinals ran through 2027, so Kingsbury is still drawing a head coach’s salary in addition to his current pay from the Commanders. That gives him the flexibility to be “selective” – like Lions OC Ben Johnson – with his next opportunity, per Fowler.
Kingsbury also enjoys working with Daniels under Dan Quinn in Washington, according to Breer, and the Commanders could be even better in 2025 after their surprising playoff run this season. That would boost Kingsbury’s coaching stock further, potentially setting him up for an even better opportunity a year or two down the line.
Kingsbury may also draw renewed interest from the Jets after interviewing for their head coaching job in 2019. He impressed the Johnson family during his interview process, per Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated, though it’s worth noting that owner Woody Johnson was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom at the time. Kingsbury opted to join the Cardinals, but he could once again find himself on the Jets’ shortlist this time around.
Bears
This guy was a clown show in AZ -and that was WITH Aaron Glenn as his DC- He’s Eberflus in reverse. Great on a coordinater level, but clueless about the rest of the team.
I agree, but he’ll be good for Williams individually. Williams is probably more coachable than Murray, so it may be more lasting. I wouldn’t say that he’d be my choice, but I do think at the same time that he could benefit Williams individually.
I get that. I just don’t think he has a clue about defense and at this point, Ben Johnson (if he even went to the Bears) could probably get most any DC he wanted. Not sure Kingsbury could.
Agreed.
I think going with a guy who completely laid an egg as a HC in the past is a bit ‘on par’ type of decision for the Bears. Its also an overreaction to this year if Poles does that.
Fair concerns. Like I said, I think that he could bolster Williams’ play as an individual player. The problem is that I don’t see Kingsbury as an effective head man for the team as a whole. He’s very much an offensive centric figure.
The other concern, offensively, would be his red zone offense. Traditionally, Kingsbury’s offenses have gotten there easily, but struggled punching it in.
I would say pay him like a Head Coach, but he is already being paid as a head coach.
Why would he leave? Get paid like a Head Coach and not be subjected to all of that pressure. Must have a giant EGO.
Kingsbury could just want to take on a greater challenge and there’s nothing wrong in a person attempting that. Ego is more of a problem when someone refuses to accept that they weren’t able to meet the challenge. That comes later.
Too bad
Bears makes sense
He impressed the Jets and yet they hired Adam Gase. Criminy this team…
If the Bears what to be credible again I still think they need to get a former HC who was successful. Which leads to Vrabel or Carroll. The problem with Carroll, at 73, is you are likely looking for another HC in only a few seasons even if he does well for the Bears.
Vrabel should be around a while if successful and able to have enough rep in the league to get a good OC and DC as well. People should want to work with Williams. He has made mistakes sure, but typical rookie mistakes and many due to a swiss cheese of an offensive line (Stats be damned as well as I watched these games, the O-Line is atrocious, same with the D-line actually).
Regardless of coaching, I do not want to see any more of the ‘clownshow’ offense either like today with the offense finally moving, then a trick play where a WR throwing a pick right to a GB defender.
I thinks its more amazing Williams had the stats he did despite the obstacles in his way this season including a predictable offensive scheme that every Defense knew before the Bears even played them.