Jan. 10, 2026, 4:53 a.m. ET

Well, Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn told us from the beginning he wanted a succession in his coaching program.

That is, he told us he had learned from his significant mistake he made in Atlanta. Kyle Shanahan, his successful offensive coordinator, took the head coaching job with the San Francisco 49ers. Quinn stated that he allowed Shanahan to take the top offensive assistants with him, and therefore did not have a continuation of his offensive system. Quinn spoke of not being prepared to fill Shanahan’s spot like he should have been.

Friday night, Dan Quinn has just hired David Blough (only 30) as his new offensive coordinator, keeping the sharpest mind in the building and continuing, to some extent, the relationship with starter Jayden Daniels, Blough, and the offense. Perhaps Quinn determined he simply couldn’t permit Blough to leave the building? Might the determining factor have been that he wanted Jayden Daniels to have continuity and trust that Blough had built?

The thought was that head coach Mike McDaniel would be fired this week by the Miami Dolphins, and that Quinn would be the first option. Now, at this point, it is so early, McDaniel might have actually been Quinn’s first choice. What we do know is that on Friday afternoon, news broke that McDaniel was already scheduled to interview with the Titans on Wednesday for their head coaching position.

Consequently, you can’t blame McDaniel after being a head coach for wanting to again be a head coach. Thus, Quinn was going to have to wait around, and he didn’t want to lose Blough to the Lions or wait around and watch Blough leave him to go be Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive coordinator.

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It is no secret that Blough has yet to be an offensive coordinator or call plays in an NFL game as a coach. It’s a risk for Quinn, and no one knows this more than Quinn. Wouldn’t you have loved to hear the dialogue between Quinn, GM Adam Peters, and owner Josh Harris? It would certainly be understandable if the continued concern voiced by Peters and Harris stemmed from Blough’s inexperience in running the entire offensive show in the offseason, mini-camps, training camps, preseason, and regular season.

Which brings up Brian Johnson. Johnson was the assistant offensive coordinator under Kingsbury the first two years of the Quinn era for the Commanders.. Now Blough is hired to pass up Johnson. Why? Was Johnson already leaving? Did Quinn find, after two seasons with Blough, that Quinn felt like he was the better choice? Remember when Quinn was hired, how he touted Johnson to be a built-in successor to Kingsbury, stating he had learned the importance of a deep staff, always ready to prepare your coaches and elevate your own coaches.

In fairness to Quinn, perhaps there is no story here. Perhaps Johnson had already expressed to Quinn that he wants to depart next season. Then again, could the story be that, working with Blough for two seasons, Quinn really feels Blough has more upside as a coordinator? We just don’t know. But we do know Blough is going to need to circle himself with very experienced offensive coaches. He can’t afford to, as he begins his first offseason as an NFL offensive coordinator.