Washington Commanders News & Rumors

Commanders Not Considering Adding Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel To HC Search

Two Commanders HC candidates dropped out of the race Tuesday. Ben Johnson, the presumed favorite, informed the Commanders and Seahawks he would stay with the Lions. Bobby Slowik, who interviewed with Washington twice, is sticking with the Texans.

This could conceivably prompt the Commanders to expand their search. The Cardinals made this move last year midway through their search. Two big names remain available, in Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel. The Commanders have not interviewed either candidate, being rumored early during this year’s carousel spin to be steering clear of Belichick. That has not changed, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, who adds no indications have surfaced that Vrabel will be an 11th-hour candidate.

Regarding Belichick, Vacchiano indicates the team is leery about the six-time Super Bowl winner’s age (72 in April) and status working alongside a football ops president (Adam Peters) who has roster control. Belichick operated as the de facto Patriots GM throughout his 24-year tenure, and personnel power was believed to be an issue for the Falcons, the only team to interview the coaching icon during this cycle. Although Belichick is a Maryland native, internal questions as to whether he would want to oversee a rebuild have also emerged.

The Commanders’ reasoning for avoiding Vrabel is less clear, but the six-year Titans HC — who had been mentioned for weeks as a trade asset — looks likely to join his former coach in being shut out this year. Vrabel, 48, is well regarded around the league. But he has not interviewed for either of the two remaining HC jobs. The Seahawks have been connected to being interested in Vrabel, but they are now well into their second interviews. It would appear Seattle has determined to look elsewhere as well.

After Johnson and Slowik dropped out, only one candidate with an offensive background — Eric Bieniemy — remains in the mix for the Washington job. The 2023 Commanders OC is not viewed as a serious HC candidate, according to Vacchiano. After Bieniemy’s failure to land a head coaching job became a lightning-rod NFL topic during his Kansas City run, only Washington interviewed him this time around. The team’s offense struggled down the stretch, finishing with an eight-game losing streak and worse rankings worse than it did during Scott Turner‘s final season calling the shots.

That said, some around the NFL have wondered if the Commanders are still gauging Bieniemy’s fit with the next coach as an OC, Vacchiano adds. It would surprise if Josh Harris were to saddle his next HC hire with the OC Ron Rivera brought in, but Bieniemy does bring considerable experience to the table. Regardless of his shortcomings in HC interviews, the five-year Chiefs OC worked as Andy Reid‘s right-hand man during one of the NFL’s prolific offensive stretches. It would not surprise to see Bieniemy become a candidate to keep his job, but ownership insisting on him staying seems unlikely.

Many in the NFL expected Peters to pursue an offense-oriented coach after seeing how Kyle Shanahan revived the 49ers, Vacchiano adds, noting the team is likely to draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall. As it stands now, a defense-geared coach will be mentoring Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels — should the Bears stay on course and select Caleb Williams atop the draft — in 2024, while Belichick and Vrabel ponder their next moves.

As of Wednesday, no more interviews are scheduled. The Seahawks are interviewing Mike Macdonald for a second time today, while Dan Quinn is also a candidate for the Seattle job. Here is how the Commanders’ search looks:

Commanders Expected To Retain Martin Mayhew

The Commanders took the unusual step of holding interviews for a top front office role while keeping its general manager in a holding pattern. Rumors steadily connected Martin Mayhew to following Ron Rivera out the door, but the team conducted a reevaluation under new front office boss Adam Peters.

Peters’ San Francisco past looked to reopen the door to Mayhew staying in Washington; the two worked together with the 49ers. It looks like Peters still values Mayhew. The latter is en route to Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile, Ala., with Commanders staffers this week, according to ESPN.com’s John Keim, who indicates the former Washington GM is expected to stay with the team in 2024.

Hired to work alongside Rivera in 2021, Mayhew came to Washington after four years on John Lynch‘s staff. Lynch brought in both Peters and Mayhew in 2017; the latter finished his 49ers tenure as the team’s VP of player personnel. Mayhew’s new Washington title is not yet known, but after a reevaluation period, appears he will survive and stay with the team for a fourth year.

Mayhew, 58, has extensive history in Washington. He started at cornerback for the dominant 1991 team that won Super Bowl XXVI, becoming a four-year starter under Joe Gibbs despite being a former 10th-round pick. While Mayhew finished his playing career in Tampa, he is best remembered as a player for his time in Washington. GMs are not given second chances at the same rate as head coaches, which made Mayhew’s second shot — after a run as Lions GM from 2008-15 — an interesting effort on Washington’s part. The veteran exec managing to stick around despite new ownership cleaning house following a 4-13 season is perhaps even more intriguing.

Josh Harris is believed to have influenced the Rivera- and Mayhew-led football ops department to trade both Montez Sweat and Chase Young on deadline day, and a swift decline followed. The Commanders lost their final eight games, with Rivera becoming one of the most predictable coach firings in many years. Mayhew, Marty Hurney and Eric Stokes had been among those rumored to be on the chopping block alongside Rivera. Stokes, the Commanders’ senior player personnel director, is already at the Senior Bowl, per Keim.

Being at the Senior Bowl representing a team is not a guarantee of long-term employment. Clubs regularly dismiss front office personnel — particularly those in scouting roles — after the draft to avoid shaking up personnel after extensive draft prep has already commenced. But Keim’s report points Mayhew to staying alongside Peters. It is not clear if Stokes and Hurney, who each worked with Rivera in Carolina prior to rejoining him in Washington, will join him for the long haul.

Latest On Commanders’ HC Search

Ben Johnson loomed as the favorite for the Commanders’ HC job for over two weeks, but a curveball looks to have disrupted the NFC East franchise’s search process.

Despite being interested in the North Carolina native since last year and being prepared to pursue him for a second straight offseason, the Panthers did not wait for the Lions’ season to end, instead hiring Dave Canales last week. That seemed to be a prelude to Johnson’s Washington arrival, but the prominent HC candidate has once again pledged to stick with Detroit. This creates uncertainty for Josh Harris‘ club.

Although ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicates Johnson did not appear a slam dunk for the Washington job, he mentions Commanders brass was en route to Detroit to interview Johnson and Aaron Glenn when word emerged the Lions’ OC was bowing out of another search. Johnson’s decision surprised many, per Schefter, even though the young play-caller made the same move last year.

The Commanders indeed had Johnson installed as the frontrunner here, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano. As for who is most likely to land the job now, Vacchiano indicates Dan Quinn and Mike Macdonald have been viewed as sleepers during this process. These two have been sought-after candidates, but the “sleeper” label appears to have been applied because Johnson was viewed as a borderline prohibitive favorite to become the next Commanders HC.

Quinn has interviewed twice with the Commanders, Macdonald once. Both are in consideration for the other HC vacancy. A Seahawks-Quinn reunion became rumored immediately after Pete Carroll‘s ouster, while Macdonald is interviewing with the team today.

Johnson, 37, received a raise to stay in Detroit last year. Another pay bump is not believed to be forthcoming, Schefter adds, noting Johnson’s current Lions deal runs through the 2025 season. The Lions should again be expected to field a quality offense. Jared Goff is signed through 2024, though he is on track to become a higher-paid QB before next season. Pass-catching pillars Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta remain on rookie deals, though the former is a clear extension candidate in 2024. Three of Detroit’s five O-line starters — Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, Penei Sewell — are under contract for 2024 as well.

More attractive jobs could also open up in 2025. The Cowboys and Eagles spent time deliberating about their head coaches, and although Mike McCarthy and Nick Sirianni are returning, they are going to do so on hot seats (McCarthy especially, as he is a lame duck). The Jaguars’ patience with Doug Pederson could wear thin as well, given the disappointing season the team just completed. Although no head coach has been fired following a playoff berth since Mike Mularkey (Tennessee) six years ago, the Bills just became the third team in the home-field advantage era (1975-present) to lose back-to-back home divisional-round games. Sean McDermott‘s seat has likely warmed as well, though it might not rival the two coaches overseeing NFC East powers presently.

As the Commanders continue their search, they do still have Texans OC Bobby Slowik in the mix. While Slowik has only been a play-caller for one season, he joins Adam Peters in having spent extensive time in San Francisco. Here is how the Washington search looks following Johnson’s surprise exit:

Commanders Remain Intent On Hiring Lions’ Ben Johnson As HC?

JANUARY 29: In an update on where the Commanders’ search stands, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports confirms Johnson is currently seen as the favorite to be hired. Other candidates like Dan Quinn (Cowboys) and Mike Macdonald (Ravens) are still in the running, though that is also the case for both defensive coordinators as it pertains to the Seahawks’ opening. With the Lions having been eliminated last night, Johnson is free to speak with and accept an offer from Washington or Seattle at any time.

JANUARY 27: Ben Johnson entered the 2023 season having generated head coaching interest after only one year as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. His work this campaign has confirmed his status as one of the most sought-after staffers in the league, and signs continue to point him to the nation’s capital in the near future.

Johnson was reported earlier this month to be the top target for both the Panthers and Commanders. In Carolina’s case in particular, that came as no surprise. Panthers owner David Tepper made a concerted effort to land him during last year’s hiring cycle, and he was expected to deliver another strong push this offseason. Ultimately, though, Carolina elected to bring in Dave Canales after his one-year OC stint with the Buccaneers.

Once the Commanders tapped Adam Peters as their new GM, Johnson was named as a candidate to watch as the new head coach to pair with him. The latter has upped his stock considerably during his two-year run at the helm of Detroit’s offense, and the unit has played a central role in the team’s run to the NFC title game. Once the Lions’ postseason journey ends, as Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline writes, the expectation around the league remains that Johnson will be hired by the Commanders.

Teams still in contention for the Super Bowl are prohibited from having their coordinators take part in head coaching interviews during the week leading up to the conference championship games. Washington’s second interview with Johnson will therefore not take place until Detroit’s season comes to an end. The Commanders – who are joined by the Seahawks in having the league’s only remaining HC vacancies – are prepared to wait for Sunday’s games to take place before making their respective hires.

Commanders owner Josh Harris made the expected move of dismissing Ron Rivera on Black Monday, and his hand-picked committee moved quickly in landing on Peters to serve as general manager. The latter will directly oversee the team’s new head coach, a departure from the organizational structure in place during Rivera’s tenure. Johnson will be a rookie head coach if/when he is hired this year, though the same is also true of Peters after his decision to depart his AGM gig with the 49ers.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has also drawn considerable interest during this year’s cycle, and he too has a second Commanders interview lined up. Johnson is joined by Texans OC Bobby Slowik in terms of staffers with an offensive background who have drawn significant interest this year, and both have met once with the Seahawks. Seattle does not have a second meeting with Johnson on the books, however, leaving his connection with Washington something to watch closely in the coming days.

Commanders, Seahawks Not Expected To Make HC Hires This Week

With the Falcons bringing back Raheem Morris and the Panthers luring Dave Canales from the Buccaneers, the NFC South now has four head coaches again. That leaves just two openings remaining; neither is likely to be filled this week.

The Commanders and Seahawks are expected to wait a bit longer, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter noting both teams are planning to delay their searches until next week. NFL rules will dictate these delays. Staffers on a team preparing for a conference championship game cannot meet with teams about a coaching job.

Despite the Chiefs and 49ers’ continued success, these delays pertain to the Lions and Ravens’ coordinators. Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Mike Macdonald and Anthony Weaver are in the mix for jobs. Other coaches remain in the running for the Seattle and Washington gigs, but the non-Detroit or Baltimore-affiliated candidates are free to conduct in-person interviews now.

The NFL rule change last year prevented any coach on an NFL staff from conducting an in-person interview with a team until after the divisional round. As a result, Glenn, Johnson, Macdonald and Weaver have only interviewed virtually. Last year’s hiring period involved lengthy waits as well, with the Cardinals and Colts not making their hires until after Super Bowl LVII. Eagles staffers Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen signed on to fill those positions, needing to wait until after the Super Bowl due to league rules. If the Ravens or Lions advance that far this season, their assistants would need to wait until after Super Bowl LVIII to be hired.

Washington has been connected to Johnson for a bit now. Both the Panthers and Commanders were believed to have the second-year Lions OC positioned as the favorite in their respective searches. Johnson spurned Carolina last year and may not have given indications he was interested this year, either. Though, Johnson did interview with David Tepper‘s club. Johnson interviewed with both the Commanders and Seahawks virtually, joining Glenn and Macdonald.

Johnson and Glenn are expected to meet again with the Commanders. Macdonald interviewed virtually with Washington, but only Weaver has a second Commanders interview arranged among Baltimore staffers. The Ravens could see both their coordinators return, which represented an unlikely scenario given the team’s success this season. Macdonald has not interviewed with the Seahawks, and OC Todd Monken has not been connected to either of the remaining openings. The Seahawks are believed to be interested in Mike Vrabel, though they have not interviewed him. No Vrabel-Commanders connections have emerged.

Bill Belichick is not believed to be on either NFC team’s radar, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reinforces. Belichick, 71, had only met with the Falcons about their vacancy. Although Arthur Blank initially targeted the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC, the Falcons changed course and hired Morris. The latter met twice with the Commanders and was set for a second Seahawks interview Friday. Unless another team fires its head coach, Belichick is likely to find himself shut out — from HC positions, at least — in this cycle. The 29-year HC veteran is 14 wins shy of Don Shula‘s career record. He has been on an NFL sideline in every season since 1975.

Commanders Scheduling Second HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Raheem Morris

TUESDAY, 7:40pm: Another candidate has earned a second interview with the Commanders, as ESPN’s John Keim reports that Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver is expected to meet again with the organization.

Weaver is also in consideration for the Falcons head coaching job, where he also earned a second interview. Weaver has spent the past three seasons in Baltimore, including the past two as the DL coach/associate head coach.

MONDAY, 5:55pm: The Commanders are lining up second interviews with head coach candidates. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders are expected to host Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on an in-person interview. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is scheduling a second interview with the Commanders.

Following the Cowboys’ disappointing playoff loss, it didn’t take long for Quinn to hit the interview trail. He met with the Commanders last week, and he’s already earned second interviews with the Titans and Seahawks.

Following a third-straight standout year by the Cowboys defense, Quinn is once again a popular name on the head coaching market. The veteran coach reportedly rejected previous HC opportunities in order to stick with Dallas, but it sounds like he’s more open to moving on in 2024. The former Falcons head coach has also been connected to the Panthers and Chargers jobs.

Morris is also a popular HC candidate this offseason. We previously heard that Morris earned second interviews with the Panthers and Seahawks, and in addition to the Commanders, Schefter notes that the coordinator is also expected to take a second interview with the Falcons.

Morris has served as the Rams defensive coordinator since 2021. He served as Atlanta’s interim head coach in 2020 following the firing of (who else) Dan Quinn. Morris’s stint in Atlanta spanned six years, and he had a previous three-year stint as the head coach in Tampa Bay.

In addition to Quinn and Morris, the list of Commanders head coach candidates includes:

Washington Commanders

Falcons, Commanders Request Second HC Interviews With Lions’ Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn

12:13pm: Joining the Falcons in expressing considerable interest in Detroit’s coordinators, Washington will also schedule second interviews with Glenn and Johnson, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. These meetings are set to take place in Detroit next week. Teams cannot interview staffers attached to the four conference championship-bound teams this week, injecting a hiccup into these assistants’ timetables on the HC carousel.

A second Commanders-Johnson summit has long been expected. Josh Harris‘ club has been high on the two-year OC for a bit now. The Panthers remain interested in Johnson, however, as they have been tied to the North Carolina native for some time. While Glenn was believed to be in the mix for the Titans’ HC job, the AFC South team has since hired Brian Callahan.

11:05am: The Falcons continue to cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach. Atlanta has requested a second interview with Lions offensive and defensive coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, ESPN’s Michael Rothstein reports.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Both interviews will take place in person, but the team will need to wait for them to take place. With the Lions having advanced to the NFC championship game, neither Johnson nor Glenn are permitted to meet with prospective teams until next week. The Falcons do have a number of other interviews to get through in the coming days, however.

For some time now, Bill Belichick has been the name most frequently linked to Atlanta’s vacancy. A recent report indicated the position is open for the six-time Super Bowl winner if he desires it, and Belichick has already interviewed twice. The Falcons are believed to be eyeing head coaching experience – a departure from owner Arthur Blank‘s previous hires – something which would lend itself to candidates such as Belichick and Jim Harbaugh.

Nevertheless, it comes as little surprise that Johnson in particular continues to receive significant interest. The 37-year-old was a top HC candidate last year despite his age and lack of experience as a play-caller. He has only two years under his belt in the latter department, but his success with Detroit’s offense has made him one of the top staffers available. Johnson is believed to be the top target for the Panthers and Commanders.

Glenn has also been one of the most popular staffers in the 2024 cycle. He has met once with the Falcons, but also the Chargers, Titans and Commanders. This follow-up with the Falcons will mark the first time this year that he interviews for a second time, however. Glenn has routinely drawn praise from Lions head coach Dan Campbell, and Detroit did manage its best showing to date with him at the helm (including a second-place ranking against the run) this season.

The Falcons have a number of notable options to choose from, but a dark horse candidate could be Bills OC Joe Brady. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that Brady is a name worth watching in the event a more established coach like Belichick or Harbaugh does not land the Atlanta gig. The 34-year-old had a two-year OC stint with the Panthers before joining the Bills’ staff last year. He replaced Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 campaign, and the team’s success down the stretch could make him a logical candidate to be retained on a full-time basis. Brady was, as Breer notes, though, the runner-up to Arthur Smith when the latter was hired.

Here is an updated look at the Falcons’ search:

Texans’ Bobby Slowik Arranges Second HC Interviews With Commanders, Falcons

After a strong debut season as a coordinator, Bobby Slowik continues to drawn signficant head coaching interest. The Texans OC has a pair of second interviews lined up for a head coaching gig.

Slowik will meet with the Commanders today before a follow-up with the Falcons, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His second meeting with Atlanta will take place on Thursday, SI’s Albert Breer adds. Slowik interviewed virtually with both teams on Sunday, and his second meeting with each will take place in person.

Slowik began his NFL coaching career under Mike Shanahan in Washington as a defensive assistant, spending three years in that capacity. Taking on the Commanders’ HC position would thus represent a return to the place where he started as a staffer. Slowik is best known for his work on the offensive side of the ball, however, which began when he paired with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.

While the latter served as play-caller, Slowik was an instrumental member of the 49ers’ offensive staff during his time in the Bay Area. The 36-year-old worked as San Francisco’s passing game coordinator from 2021-22 before he followed DeMeco Ryans to Houston. That move allowed him to take on the Texans’ offensive coordinator role, and the results thoroughly exceeded expectations.

With Slowik at the helm, quarterback C.J. Stroud delivered one of the most productive rookie seasons in NFL history. Houston advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs as part of the organization’s dramatic turnaround in Ryans’ debut season as a head coach. His and the team’s success has, to no surprise, entered Slowik’s name into the conversation of the league’s top up-and-coming offensive minds.

The Commanders quickly brought in a new general manager (Adam Peters, who has a relationship with Slowik dating back to their time in San Francisco), but the team has cast a wide net in its coaching search. Veteran defensive coordinators – and ex-head coaches – Dan Quinn and Raheem Morris – have lined up a second interview with Washington. The Commanders have also shown a strong interest in Lions OC Ben Johnson, however, and Slowik profiles as being similar to the latter given his age and background on the offensive side of the ball.

Unlike the Commanders, the Falcons have frequently been linked to high-profile candidates Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh. Atlanta has met with both candidates, but the team has also sent out a second request to speak with Mike Macdonald and Anthony Weaver as part of a wide-ranging search. Slowik will have competition for both positions, but his status as a serious candidate for both Washington and Atlanta demonstrates the extent to which has stock has risen this year.

Commanders Conduct HC Interview With Eric Bieniemy

The Commanders have cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach, but it has been known since shortly after Ron Rivera‘s firing that Eric Bieniemy will have a chance to be promoted to the position. The latter has indeed formally interviewed with Washington.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Bieniemy met with the Commanders last week, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. The interview included owner Josh Harris and newly-hired general manager Adam Peters, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz adds. Both note the detailed nature of the meeting, which doubles as Bieniemy’s first known interview of the 2024 hiring cycle.

The longtime Chiefs OC joined the Commanders this past offseason in a move which included full-time play-calling duties and the added title of assistant head coach. Having stepped out of the shadow of Andy Reid, expectations were mixed for Bieniemy given his newfound control over the unit but also the decided lack of experience on the part of starting quarterback Sam Howell. The 2022 fifth-rounder was placed atop the depth chart throughout the lead-in to the campaign, one in which he flashed potential at times early on.

Toward the end of the campaign, however, Howell was lifted mid-game for Jacoby Brissett on multiple occasions, and he would have been benched if not for an injury on the part of the latter. The Commanders ultimately finished 24th in both total and scoring offense, and improvements across the board will be needed in the coming months to upgrade the unit. That could very well include a new quarterback being selected in April, as Washington holds the No. 2 pick.

The Commanders will have a new organizational structure in Harris’ second year at the helm. The team’s new head coach will answer to Peters. That setup could lend itself to a first-time HC getting the nod, but candidates with a wide range of experience have been interviewed already or received a slip from Washington. Once Peters became the choice for GM, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named as a candidate to watch for the HC vacancy. The latter is indeed believed to be Washington’s top target.

Bieniemy’s status as an internal option for the posting means his interview does not relate to the Rooney Rule in Washington’s ongoing search. The team is required to speak with two external minority candidates before choosing its Rivera successor. Bieniemy is now, at a minimum, in the mix for consideration as things stand.

Commanders’ Next HC To Report To Adam Peters

Ron Rivera wielded more power than his Commanders successor will possess within the organization. The since-fired head coach spent much of his time in Washington running the show; the team’s next HC will not.

The Commanders are planning to give their newly hired president of football operations, Adam Peters, the keys. Their to-be-determined head coach will report to Peters, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. This will be a shift for the franchise, who gave Rivera personnel power during the final Dan Snyder years.

[RELATED: Ben Johnson Frontrunner For Commanders’ HC Job?]

While Peters follows Martin Mayhew as a Washington GM being hired from San Francisco, John Lynch‘s longtime lieutenant will be a more empowered figure with the NFC East franchise. After Washington spent 2020 without a GM, Rivera signed off on the Mayhew addition in 2021. While Mayhew held considerable power, Rivera was ultimately in charge. The dismissed HC has since said this setup is not ideal, and new owner Josh Harris had long been expected to bring forth a shift. Following Mayhew and Ran Carthon, Peters is the third Lynch-era 49ers exec to land a GM gig.

Some teams have both their head coach and GM report to ownership separately, while others use the owner-GM-HC workflow model. After rumblings of Harris seeking an organizational restructure, the Commanders can now be slotted in the latter category. Regarding this Peters-fronted restructuring, the new front office boss will evaluate the team’s personnel setup. This evaluation, however, will not include Commanders president Jason Wright, per Front Office Sports’ AJ Perez. Wright’s work will fall outside of Peters’ purview. Snyder hired Wright to head up the team’s business side in 2020.

Peters will have authority to determine the roles of Mayhew and VP of player personnel Marty Hurney. Both of these execs have been rumored to be on the outs, but no firings are known to have transpired yet. Peters and Mayhew worked together for nearly four years in San Francisco. The Peters hire, rather than the organization going with its other finalist (Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham), would seem to point to Mayhew staying in a different capacity.

Peters, who turned down the chance to interview for the Cardinals and Titans’ GM jobs last year, always loomed as a logical candidate. But he officially became a Commanders target in December, when former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers — brought in by Harris as an advisor during this transition — asked ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman if he would also help out, Breer adds. These two did prep work beginning around Week 16, with Harris wanting good background in the event he fired Rivera. Spielman came up with a 15-person list for the football ops job, and he and Myers whittled it down to the Peters-Cunningham contingent.

Spielman, whom the Vikings fired following the 2021 season, did not tell anyone who he was working for during this research effort, per Breer. The first round of interviews occurred at Harris’ Miami office. Co-owners Magic Johnson, Mitchell Rales and David Blitzer also spent extensive time with the candidates, with Breer adding the latter trio offered Harris input that led to the Peters decision. We will soon see how the Spielman- and Myers-led research effort turns out on the coaching front.