Kliff

Kingsbury

According to Paulsen, this information comes from “a rival team official” who said it “was made clear to him” that the Saints were ready to hire Kingsbury. Instead of taking the job, Kingsbury opted to return for another season with the Commanders and Jayden Daniels, with whom he had tremendous success in their first season. With the opportunity to focus solely on offensive play-calling, Kingsbury’s team finished fifth in scoring, seventh in total yards, and 10th in yards per play, while Daniels proved to be the runaway Rookie of the Year. Kingsbury was one of the hottest candidates on the coaching market this off-season but never met with a team for an official interview. Assuming he and the Commanders can replicate the success they enjoyed this season, Kingsbury will go right back to being a coveted name on the market next offseason.

This was always the way the reports about Kingsbury seemed to be leaning, and he essentially decided against interviewing with the Saints and Bears during Washington’s playoff run. Kingsbury’s has revitalized his career prospects with Jayden Daniels and seems likely to be a hot coaching candidate in 2026. Of course, we would have said the same thing in Bobby Slowik’s blurb in 2025, so this isn’t without risk for Kingsbury. But ultimately, as Adam Schefter put it when asked about Kingsbury a week ago, it was very obvious that he was “not rushing to become a head coach again.”

Underhill adds, "(Kingsbury) won’t begin evaluating his options until they’re done playing.” Kingsbury has been most heavily linked to the Saints, a franchise now approaching desperation mode after seeing four other teams sign new head coaches and Joe Brady pull out of the running after electing to remain with the Bills in 2025. They might be forced to wait longer if the Commanders can pull off another unlikely playoff upset over the Eagles in the NFC Championship game Sunday.

This sounds more like Schefter’s opinion than a known fact, but there’s something to be said for Kingsbury still not interviewing with a team despite multiple requests to speak with the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. Kingsbury, who said he won’t take an interview as long as the Commanders are in the playoffs, also went on record saying he was “very happy” with his current role while adding it “would take a lot” for him to leave Jayden Daniels. The Commanders are one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1991. If they advance past the Eagles next week, it’s possible Kingsbury won’t speak to a team regarding a head coaching vacancy until after the Super Bowl.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Kingsbury’s stock was already on the rise after he elevated the Commanders to a top-five offensive season and a 12-5 record in his first season as their play-caller. His performance in the NFC Divisional Round that saw the Commanders upset the No. 1 seeded Lions undoubtedly boosted his stock even more, with other teams still in the hunt for a head coach. Kingsbury wouldn’t be the first offensive-minded candidate the Cowboys have pursued this offseason, as they recently wrapped up an interview with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who is expected to be in the running for Dallas’ head coaching vacancy for some time. Kingsbury also has requests from the Bears and Saints for interviews but has not met with either team at this time.

Kingsbury has been mentioned as a potential candidate for several jobs after reviving the Washington offense. The 45-year-old may miss out on some job opportunities with this strategy, but if the Commanders lose Saturday to the Lions, he’ll have an opportunity to meet in regards to a few open positions.

While Williams would like an offensive-minded coach, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick remained open to considering any coach who is a “strong-minded, a leader of men.” Whether or not the Bears take Williams’ desires into consideration is to be determined, but they have met with several offensive coaches throughout the interview process, including Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, former Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy, former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll, and Lions OC Ben Johnson — to name a few. They’ve also requested a sit down with Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, who he spent time with during their days at USC in 2023. The Bears will have a number of offensive minds to choose from to help Williams and the team improve on an offense that ranked 28th in scoring (18.2 points per game) last season. Whether or not the Bears go with an offensive-minded guy is to be determined, but the franchise QB has spoken.

Kingsbury has been a highly sought-after head coaching candidate after his season with the Commanders. In his first year with the team, the Commanders’ offense ranked top 10 in points scored, total yards, and EPA per play and earned a spot as a wild card team in the NFC playoffs. His ties to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams undoubtedly makes the job in Chicago particularly intriguing, but we’ll see where things go after the two sides sit down to meet. Kingsbury doesn’t have the same ties to the Saints, but could be drawn by a chance to compete in the NFC South with a chance to build his offense with either Derek Carr or a rookie quarterback of his choosing down the line.

Kingsbury said last week that “at some point,” he would like to be a head coach again but didn’t elaborate beyond that. The Commanders’ offense has thrived in its first season under Kingsbury, ranking in the top 10 in points per game, yards per game, and EPA per play, thanks in large to the high-end play of rookie Jayden Daniels. In article published by ESPN recently, Kingsbury said, “It would take a lot to leave this kid,” while speaking highly of Daniels’ “confidence, humility, and playmaking ability.” He also added that, “If you feel like you haver to force it, then you’re probably not making the right choice,” regarding his coaching future. The Bears make for an interesting landing spot for Kingsbury given his history with quarterback Caleb Williams, but there aren’t quite as many ties pulling him to the Saints. Kingsbury isn’t a lock to leave Washington after just one season, but the desire to land another head coaching job appears to be strong.

Kingsbury declined to say whether or not he would take head coaching interviews this offseason but did note that he’s “very happy” in Washington. The Bears have been rumored to have interest in Kingsbury, who spent 2023 with Caleb Williams at USC before being hired by the Commanders last offseason. In his return to the NFL, Kliff has orchestrated an offense that currently ranks in the top 10 in points per game, yards per game, and yards per play, thanks in part to the play of rookie Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury’s first stint as an NFL head coach didn’t quite go as planned, as his offenses proved easy to neutralize and far less explosive than what we saw during his days at Texas A&M and Texas Tech. There’s no doubt that several teams will have Kingsbury on their radars, but his familiarity with Caleb Williams makes him an easy favorite to become the Bears next head coach if he’s interested.