It’s that time of the year. You know, coaching rumors season. Last year, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was a hot name after his work with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury chose not to pursue other opportunities; instead decided to stick with the Commanders for another season.

This season hasn’t gone how Kingsbury or anyone else anticipated. Washington is 4-11, Daniels is out for the remainder of the season, having missed several games with multiple injuries, and even backup Marcus Mariota looks like he’ll miss this week’s game on Christmas Day against the Dallas Cowboys.

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When you’re 4-11 and not having the same type of success, there’s no guarantee those same opportunities will come. Thus far, there are only two NFL head coaching openings: the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans. Both have young quarterbacks with a similar dual-threat ability to Daniels. Other jobs will open, too, but it’s not certain how many.

Does Kingsbury want to pursue a head coaching position this cycle? He was asked about it during his press availability on Tuesday.

“Yeah, we’ll see how that plays out, but you know, today, just trying to get one of these quarterbacks ready to play on a short week,” Kingsbury said. Short and sweet.

Kingsbury acknowledged last season he’d be interested in being a head coach again, but that he would be selective. After being fired from the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, Kingsbury knows his next chance could be his last. It doesn’t look like a return to college is something Kingsbury wants. Most of the top college jobs, outside of Michigan, are filled. We never heard of Kingsbury being interested.

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With only two weeks remaining in the season, coaching rumors will ramp up. There doesn’t appear to be that one name everyone is chasing this cycle, which could lead to some unpredictability. If Kingsbury leaves, head coach Dan Quinn could be looking to hire two new coordinators. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is expected to depart after he was demoted from defensive play-caller earlier this season.

Considering how important the 2026 season will be for Daniels and the Commanders after a miserable 2025, it will be interesting to see what transpires with Kingsbury.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Kliff Kingsbury remains a head coach candidate