The second domino of the 2026 NFL coaching carousel dropped on Saturday night when the Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach. The former Browns coach replaces Raheem Morris, who Atlanta fired after two seasons. Stefanski joins John Harbaugh, the new head coach of the New York Giants, as the first 2026 hires.

Stefanski’s hiring could impact the Washington Commanders in two ways. Washington has been wanting to speak with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich, Atlanta’s existing coordinator, was kept on staff by owner Arthur Blank, who wanted the next head coach to decide Ulbrich’s future. Ulbrich is viewed as one of the primary contenders for the Commanders‘ defensive coordinator job, due to his long relationship with head coach Dan Quinn.

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Will Stefanski retain Ulbrich or try to bring his Cleveland defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, with him? Considering Schwartz is a primary contender to land the Cleveland job, replacing Stefanski, Ulbrich may remain. For those hoping the Commanders would be able to pry Ulbrich away from Atlanta, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Stefanski “would likely keep” Ulbrich as his defensive coordinator.

That can also be viewed as good news because it allows Washington to speed up the process for Joe Whitt’s replacement.

What if the Browns don’t hire Schwartz to replace Stefanski? What if Cleveland hires 30-year-old Grant Udinski? Would that make Schwartz available? Schwartz has long been considered one of the NFL’s best coordinators, and while he runs a different scheme than Quinn’s, hiring him would be a massive win.

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Stefanski’s hiring doesn’t only impact Washington’s defensive coordinator search. When the Commanders fired Whitt and parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, they also fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson. They quickly replaced Kingsbury by promoting 30-year-old assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough. However, Washington has yet to hire a new offensive line coach.

The Falcons happen to have one of the NFL’s top offensive line coaches, Dwayne Ledford.

Ledford reportedly wants to remain with Atlanta, but Stefanski has a working relationship with the legendary Bill Callahan, who is currently without a job.

If the Falcons do indeed hire Callahan, Ledford will have his choice of jobs. Considering Blough’s inexperience, Ledford would be a slam-dunk hire. Other teams will come hard after Ledford, so he will be costly. Washington should pay that cost to give its new, young coordinator the resources to succeed. The Commanders have a talented offensive line, so it should be an attractive option for Ledford.

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Something else to keep in mind is that Washington reportedly hoped to shift to a zone-blocking scheme, which Ledford runs.

Stefanski’s hiring should help the Commanders find some clarity in their search for a new defensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski brings clarity