This has been a wild coaching carousel already, and it took a surprising turn on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Steelers hired former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy as their head coach. This move could affect several teams, including the Washington Commanders.
The Commanders are entering the third week in their search for a new defensive coordinator. They’ve interviewed several candidates, including current Bears defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Al Harris. Harris has ties to Washington, as he served as defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys for the three seasons that current Commanders head coach Dan Quinn served as the defensive coordinator.
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Quinn and Harris appear to have a strong relationship, with Harris once saying he’d love to follow Quinn.
While we don’t know where Harris stands on Quinn’s list, he does have options. He recently interviewed with the Green Bay Packers for their defensive coordinator vacancy. That would be a problem, as Green Bay’s defensive roster is much more talented than Washington’s, led by Micah Parsons. Additionally, Harris spent 15 years in the NFL as a player. Eight of those seasons were in Green Bay, where Harris made an All-Pro team and was a two-time Pro Bowler. Even more, Harris is in the Packers’ Hall of Fame.
If Green Bay wants Harris, that would be too much of an opportunity to pass up for him. Which leads us back to McCarthy. He was Harris’ head coach for the cornerback’s final five seasons with the Packers. Pittsburgh’s new head coach also needs a defensive coordinator. If you connect the dots, Harris would make plenty of sense for McCarthy.
Chicago’s season ended last Sunday, which means teams interested in hiring him have had a week to lock him up. If the Packers or Commanders want Harris, they’d better act fast because the Steelers should be a legitimate contender for his services.
For Harris, having options is good.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy has implications