It was earlier on Tuesday that the Washington Commanders were set to interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for their head coach opening. Just as Washington’s brass was making its way to Michigan, Johnson took his name out of the running.
This left about a handful of candidates remaining for the opening. That’s no longer.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has agreed to a new deal with the team that includes a significant raise. This takes Slowik out of the running for the Commanders’ opening, too.
We’re not 100% sure what is happening behind the scenes in Washington. But to have two of their top candidates to replace Ron Rivera drop out in the matter of hours is not the best of looks.
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The four known remaining candidates for Washington’s opening are all defensive-minded coaches. That includes Aaron Glenn (Detroit Lions), Mike MacDonald (Baltimore Ravens), Dan Quinn (Dallas Cowboys) and Anthony Weaver (Baltimore Ravens).
New Commanders front office head Adam Peters came over from the San Francisco 49ers earlier this month. The expectation was that he’d be looking to pair up with an offensive-minded head coach. Short of other candidates emerging, that’s not going to happen.
As for Slowik, he’s seen as an up-and-comer in NFL coaching circles. The young man just finished up shop on his first season as the Texans’ offensive coordinator after spending the past six years with Peters in San Francisco.