Could Kliff Kingsbury soon be moving on from the Washington Commanders?
After a lights out opening month of the season, the Washington Commanders offense has regressed to the mean over the course of the last month and a half, struggling at times while Jayden Daniels, an early-season MVP consideration, is now in a showdown with Bo Nix just to hang onto Rookie of the Year. But through the tough times, nobody in Washington has flinched, which is a testament not only to a roster ready to compete, but also to a coaching staff that has kept the ship heading in the right direction.
One of those coaches, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, was once the trendiest name in coaching circles. The former hotshot offensive whiz eventually fell off the map completely after a failed stint in Arizona, but a return to the NFL in Washington has resulted in renewed interest in giving the 45-year-old the opportunity to take on the challenge of sitting in the big seat.
One of those teams who has already been linked to Kingsbury is the Chicago Bears, whose rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had experience playing under Kingsbury for a season while at USC. Kingsbury was rumored to be a target of the Bears offensive coordinator search last year before Shane Waldron — who has already been fired — was given the job. But now with Matt Eberflus ousted as head coach, the door could once again be open in Chicago.
Seemingly stoking the flames of this possibility, Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. spoke with Josina Anderson after Washington's 42-19 win over the Tennessee Titans, and he used one particular buzzword to describe his OC that certainly caught the attention of this Chicago Bears fan, along with many others… Accountability.
“Kliff is great. He has a great offensive mind. He’s extremely creative with how he sees the field and likes to call his plays,” Robinson said. “He still looks himself in the mirror and takes accountability. He still feels like he can get better, so that’s one thing I appreciate about him. He also wants to grow and be better.”
Will Commanders lose Kliff Kingsbury to Caleb Williams and the Bears?
There were countless reasons why the Bears were right to move on from Matt Eberflus, but the one in particular that I believe ended up costing Eberflus his job was the lack of accountability that he was willing to take in the face of countless late-game debacles that would've been fireable even if he owned up to his mistakes.
If Brian Robinson's assessment of the Commanders offensive coordinator is accurate, then that's all this Bears fan needs to hear. Yes, Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren won't rush the process. Candidates like Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and others will all be considered. But a reunion between Caleb Williams and Kliff “Mr. Accountable” Kingsbury isn't the worst outcome in the world.
