Commanders’ Blough takes over play-calling, less than 3 years after playing career

The meteoric rise of quarterback-turned-coach David Blough continued over the weekend as he jumped more experienced candidates to become the next offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders.

The 30-year-old joined the Commanders’ coaching ranks in 2024 as an assistant quarterbacks coach, less than a year after his final games on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad.

In Washington, he quickly developed a close rapport with then-rookie Jayden Daniels, who blossomed into a franchise quarterback in Washington.

The relationship with Daniels is critical after the Commanders parted ways last week with former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

Daniels had a self-described “special relationship” with Kingsbury. 

Kingsbury has already accepted head coaching interviews with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.

The Commanders lost quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard to a head coaching opportunity with Stanford. Blough took over his responsibilities midseason, including the task of preparing three different quarterbacks to start games in the final month of the season.

Blough’s promotion provides critical continuity ahead of a crucial third year for Daniels.

The hire was still a risky move for head coach Dan Quinn. Fans and media members have publicly questioned his job security after a magical run to the NFC championship game in 2024 was followed by a disastrous just-completed 5-12 campaign.

Washington wasn’t the only team looking to give Blough his first play-calling opportunity. The Detroit Lions — who signed Blough as a signal-caller in 2019 — reportedly planned to interview the Commanders assistant for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Quinn quickly interviewed Blough for Washington’s opening, though. The head coach quickly offered him the job over more experienced interviewees, including another internal candidate: passing game coordinator Brian Johnson.

Blough, despite seven combined seasons as an NFL quarterback and coach, has never called plays. His offensive philosophy is unclear, though early reports indicate that his play-calling would differ from the shotgun, air raid style of Kingsbury.

Washington’s new offensive coordinator played under a pair of innovative play-callers — Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson and Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connelll — during his quarterbacking career. The Commanders offense in 2026 could mirror those NFC North squads instead of Kingsbury’s shotgun-heavy system.

“He’s very bright, there’s no doubt,” Kingsbury said of Blough earlier this month, noting the former quarterback’s time with Johnson and O’Connell. “His biggest strengths are: he sees it from the lens of the player and yet he can separate and still be the coach. And he’s really demanding, too.”

When Kingsbury and Pritchard were both in Washington, Blough often served as an extra body for the quarterbacks during practice. He’d strap on gloves and work as their receiver on different route concepts. 

He’d drop back alongside them in accuracy competitions.

Now, the career backup will be drawing up plays and leading the entire offensive operation.

“He’s the guy who maximized who he was as a player, knew he had to get every ounce out of every throw and rep and didn’t get as many reps as he probably would’ve liked. You feel that in his coaching,” Kingsbury said. “He’s not going to let [players] off the hook if it’s a lazy rep.”

Blough isn’t totally unfamiliar with designing plays, despite his relative inexperience.

During Week 16 of the 2024 season, the Commanders were fighting for their playoff lives against the Philadelphia Eagles. They trailed by five with 10 seconds remaining. They needed a touchdown.

Kingsbury sent in a play that Blough drew up. It worked. Daniels found receiver Jamison Crowder in the end zone for a go-ahead score.

Another Blough-designed concept paid off late in last season’s Week 15 win over the New York Giants. A deep route by receiver Terry McLaurin turned into a 51-yard touchdown thanks to the coach’s scheming, Kingsbury told the “Locked on Commanders” podcast.

Kingsbury was well-regarded in the Commanders’ locker room for his willingness to accept ideas, concepts and feedback from players. That extended to Blough and the coaches.

“I love expressing myself that way,” Blough told NBC 4 last June. “Creating plays — trick plays — something that can help us have an edge, that’s the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.”

He’ll be joined by another new coordinator in Washington. The Commanders fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. after the season finale. Quinn has already scheduled interviews with Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen and Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

Hiring Blough reportedly was Quinn’s decision. General manager Adam Peters said earlier this month that the head coach had full discretion to hire any assistant or coordinator that he preferred. The same will apply to the defensive signal-caller, who will take over a unit that finished last in the NFL in yards allowed per game.