Joe Whitt Jr. Reportedly Fired by Commanders, Who Are Top Candidates to Replace DC?

Dan Quinn is returning as head coach of the Washington Commanders next season, but his staff is getting a major overhaul.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Joe Whitt Jr. is out as Washington's defensive coordinator after two seasons on the job.

Among the many things that went wrong for Washington this season, defense was close to the top of the list. The 451 points allowed were the third-most in a single season in franchise history.

It was a steep drop for a unit that was much closer to league average in 2024. The Commanders finished 18th in points allowed in Whitt's first season. They played particularly well down the stretch, allowing fewer than 20 points in three of their final five regular-season games to secure a playoff spot as a wild card team.

The Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship Game thanks in part to an opportunistic defense that forced six turnovers in their first two postseason games, including four against Jared Goff in the divisional round.

Rather than try to build up the defensive talent in the offseason, the Commanders seemed content to run things back with the players they already had. They were the oldest team overall and oldest defense by snap-weighted age in the NFL this season.

The results showed. Opposing teams scored at least 24 points in 12 of 17 games against the Commanders. Their 10 total turnovers were the second-fewest in the NFL, ahead of only a New York Jets team that became the first in NFL history to not record an interception since 1933 when the stat started to be tracked.

Whitt has worked with Quinn since 2020 when they were both with the Atlanta Falcons. When Quinn took over as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, he brought Whitt with him as pass game coordinator and secondary coach.

Quinn hired Whitt as Washington's defensive coordinator in February 2024. It marked the 47-year-old's first time as a defensive coordinator after 17 years in the NFL.