A Star's Reaction: The Washington Commanders' Search for a New Defensive Coordinator
The NFL's top defensive stars are keeping a close eye on the Washington Commanders' coaching search, and it's creating quite a buzz!
The Commanders are on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator after parting ways with Joe Whitt Jr. last week. This move was expected after head coach Dan Quinn took away Whitt's play-calling duties before Week 11. The team has already hired a new offensive coordinator, David Blough, but the defensive side of the ball remains a priority.
So far, the Commanders have interviewed three known candidates, and one of them has caught the attention of a true NFL legend.
Enter Joe Cullen, the Chiefs' defensive line coach and one of the league's most respected coaches in that role. When news broke that Cullen had interviewed with the Commanders, Chris Jones, the star defensive tackle, took to X with an intriguing reaction. It seems Jones wants to keep Cullen in Kansas City, but who can truly know the inner workings of a player's mind?
Cullen, a former college nose guard at UMass, has been coaching since 1990 and has been an NFL assistant since 2006. He's worked with multiple teams, always as the defensive line coach, and even served as a coordinator briefly during Urban Meyer's short-lived NFL career in 2021.
The Commanders hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they desperately need a pass rusher. Could Cullen be the mentor to turn that first-round pick into a game-changer for Washington?
But here's where it gets controversial: Should the Commanders prioritize an established coach like Cullen, or take a chance on an up-and-coming assistant with fresh ideas? And this is the part most people miss: the impact of player-coach relationships on team dynamics.
So, what do you think? Should the Commanders go all-in on Cullen, or is there a better option out there? Let us know in the comments; we'd love to hear your take on this intriguing coaching search!
