Feb. 11, 2026, 6:15 a.m. ET

New Washington defensive coordinator Daronte Jones spoke in a mild, enthusiastic tone; he didn’t seek to fire up the fan base.

Jones spoke Tuesday at his introductory press conference, becoming the new defensive coordinator for the Commanders, replacing Joe Whitt Jr., who held the position the last two seasons (2024-25). One of the most noticeable elements from Jones was how he did not speak. There was no big talk of how this defense will punish people, arrive violently, get to the quarterback, etc.

When asked what his defense will look like, Jones interestingly replied, “I’m not going to say, you know, all the typical coaching buzzwords, but I will say that when you turn on the tape, joy would be one, all right? That would be the number one thing that if you turn on the tape or you watching TV from wherever you may be watching from, to see the joy that these players have when they step on the field, the joy that they have when they’re playing with one another, the comradery. That’s the number one thing that we want to have on the defense.”

Nobody had in mind that Jones would say the number one thing he wants to see out of his defense is “joy”. Nobody, not a single person. Why would Jones want to see joy, first? ” I think when you see joy out there, guys are playing selflessly, and you’re seeing a team defense, and you’re seeing guys who they don’t care who makes the play long as someone makes the play, and they’re willing to take on a double team or take this pick so that you can kind of clear up.”

We also learned that Jones wants his defensive personnel to view ‘sacrifice’ as a very positive thing. “They’re going to learn that the word sacrifice, although it has a negative connotation, will be seen in a different light. Meaning it’s not what I’m willing to give up. It’s what I’m willing to do for (the defense)?

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Jones did reference his personnel being expected to play intelligently, not selfishly for themselves. “You want to see guys playing with some type of, some high IQ, some type of intelligence out there and communicating. So, the joy is the number one thing that you want to see. I’m not going to use any other buzz words that, you know, trigger things, but joy would be the collective unit.”

‘Joy’ is not synonymous with happiness. Jones use of ‘joy’, Tuesday, left me thinking he might actually understand this important distinction. Happiness is most often a result of our human circumstances. Thus, it is not unusual to hear people talk of how they are not happy, are looking for happiness, want to find someone who will make them happy…

In addition, joy is much deeper than happiness. Therefore, when circumstances are not going well, one may not be happy or giddy; yet, one very much possesses a deep and profound sense of joy. This person may be enduring a tough trial, yet they carry a joy that finds peace in knowing they are part of something much greater than themselves.

More than a sunny disposition, Jones might be looking for men who have a peace, an endurance, and delight that persists through tough times, far beyond mere happiness.