The Washington Commanders made a bold move on Monday, promoting assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton to offensive line coach. This comes less than two weeks after head coach Dan Quinn promoted assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough to offensive coordinator.
Why is this a bold move? Blough had only two years of coaching experience when he was promoted. While many around the NFL, including everyone in Washington’s building, believe the former NFL quarterback is a future coaching star, the 30-year-old had led only a position group for a couple of weeks late in the 2025 season, after Tavita Pritchard left to become Stanford’s head coach.
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Many believed that after firing offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and parting ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders would look to bring in an experienced voice for Blough. Last week, Blough also hired former college teammate Danny Etling as the assistant quarterbacks coach, after hiring D.J. Williams to be the new quarterbacks coach.
Washington reportedly likes Stapleton’s ability to develop players, and he received internal praise for first-round pick Josh Conerly’s growth as a rookie in 2025. Stapleton and Blough worked together as assistant position coaches and are said to have a strong rapport.
Will this work for Washington? Only time will tell. Quinn is betting his future on it.
How did everyone receive the news that the Commanders promoted another young assistant coach? We surveyed some of the top reactions via X.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Fans, others react to Darnell Stapleton move