The Washington Commanders are gearing up for some landmark changes this offseason. And for head coach Dan Quinn, his first port of call is one he won’t like.

Quinn is a loyal coach. Taking over the defensive play-calling duties from coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was hard, but necessary. The improvements since have been marginal at best, and the Commanders are in desperate need of quality upgrades to their personnel and fresh ideas on the schematic side.

Most around the league expect Whitt to be fired at season’s end. And the flourishing reputation of a former Quinn associate could be the ideal candidate to take his place.

Commanders could target Al Harris as the perfect Joe Whitt Jr. replacement

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports highlighted Al Harris as someone teams will be taking a close look at this offseason. The ex-Pro Bowler and All-Pro is blossoming into an exceptional coach. And he’s also worked closely with Quinn during their time together on the Dallas Cowboys.

“[Al] Harris, Chicago’s team’s defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator, has overseen a unit responsible for a league-leading 21 interceptions. A coach the past 13 years, Harris was previously with the Cowboys. In his final four years in Dallas, the Cowboys had the most interceptions in the league with 72 between 2021 to 2024. He had Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland as first-team All Pros. Today, the Cowboys have the second-fewest interceptions in the league this season. The ball is worth millions, and no one has the turnover pelts on the wall like Harris.”

Jonathan Jones

Mark Bullock, formerly of The Athletic and now covering the team independently, believes the Commanders should make a strong push to lure Harris from the Chicago Bears this offseason to replace Whitt. It’s another from his close circle, but one of the big attractions to hiring him in the first place was his strong connections around the league.

Harris is an ascending coach. He’s more than deserving of a promotion, and his previous experience as a prolific player would command instant respect in Washington’s locker room. They won’t be the only team looking to secure his services, so Quinn will be banking on his already developed connection to get this potential deal over the line.

Either way, Whitt is living on borrowed time. He couldn’t get a tune out of his players, and although injuries exposed Washington’s lack of starting quality or depth, the message was lost long ago.

And once Whitt’s inevitable fate is sealed, Quinn’s next call might be aimed in Harris’ direction.