Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury and QB Marcus Mariota (All Pro Reels)
ASHBURN, Va. — Kliff Kingsbury has never lacked confidence in his offensive beliefs.
From his days as a Texas Tech quarterback under Mike Leach to head-coaching stints at his alma mater and in the NFL, and now as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, Kingsbury has lived inside some version of the “Air Raid” scheme. Spread formations. Tempo. Space. Let the quarterback decide.
In his second season with the Commanders, Kingsbury’s offense remains one of the league’s most extreme outliers in tempo and structure. This maverick movement thrilled during last season’s NFC Championship run. The results flipped sharply in the follow-up campaign.
Washington’s season concludes in Philadelphia on Sunday for a second consecutive year. This time, the magic faded weeks earlier, during an agonizing eight-game losing streak.
Until recently, any talk of a coordinator change focused on whether Kingsbury, might leave for another job. The New York Giants and Tennessee Titans have vacancies and young quarterbacks for Kingsbury to help mold. More openings are coming. Expect Kingsbury’s name to surface when they do.
Yet declining production at prior stops has long raised questions about the former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals head coach’s approach. No other team — this season or during the six years Kingsbury has directed an NFL offense — has come close to matching his no-huddle usage.
With the season winding down and quarterback Jayden Daniels sidelined for the remainder of the season following three distinct injuries, I began wondering whether confidence in the scheme’s long-term viability had wavered. Injuries ruined plans on both sides of the ball, and Kingsbury still appears on generic head-coaching candidate lists. Without last season’s mojo, however.
Before any public reporting surfaced, I asked both Kingsbury and head coach Dan Quinn separately last week about their belief in the scheme moving forward.
“I’ve seen it done at a high level,” Kingsbury said on Thursday. “Whether it’s Arizona or here at a very high level, and won games and had a lot of yards, a lot of success in that regard. I think I’m pretty confident in that style of play.”
Quinn received the question following Friday’s practice. That evening, a high-ranking front-office source from another organization texted that Kingsbury might not return, regardless of whether he lands another job first.
Saturday morning, The Athletic reported that Washington has had internal conversations about potentially moving on from Kingsbury even without a head-coaching offer, citing a possible disconnect with general manager Adam Peters.
Another source familiar with Washington’s internal dynamics described the situation succinctly: “Intriguing theater.”
The timing matters. Washington, holding a dismal 4-12 record, closes its season Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. Peters and Quinn, expected to have a joint media availability on Monday, are entering an evaluation period in which everything should be under review.
That includes an offensive identity that previously felt untouchable.
A year ago, Kingsbury’s confidence looked justified. Daniels played efficient, fearless football as a rookie, and Washington rode a dynamic offense to its best season since its 1991 Super Bowl run. Losing on the road to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles stung, but expectations soared as did Kingsbury’s reputation.
Twelve months later, much has changed, leading to an uncomfortable question: If this approach is so advantageous, why have none of the other 31 teams come close to replicating it?
The answer lives in the numbers, the personnel decisions and a growing question about sustainability.
