Daronte Jones, Commanders Reportedly Finalizing DC Contract, What to Know About New Coach

The Washington Commanders reportedly found their next defensive coordinator.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Washington is hiring Minnesota Vikings defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones to fill its vacant DC position.

The job was open because Washington parted ways with Joe Whitt Jr. after the team went 5-12 and finished in third place in the NFC East standings. It also parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

The Commanders cast a wide net in the DC search process before eventually deciding on Jones, who was highly regarded around the league during this offseason:

Jones is a coaching veteran with a number of stops at the high school and college level before he joined the NFL ranks. This past season was his fifth as the Vikings defensive back coach and third as their defensive passing game coordinator.

He was also previously an assistant with the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals and has worked with a number of notable defensive coaches, including Brian Flores, Vance Joseph and Mike Zimmer.

While Minnesota missed the playoffs this season, its secondary was a bright spot under Jones.

It finished second in the league in passing yards allowed in 2025 after leading the NFL with 24 interceptions during the 2024 campaign when the Vikings went 14-3 and reached the playoffs.

Now he will be tasked with turning around a Washington defense that finished the 2025 campaign last in the league in yards allowed and 27th in the league in points allowed. It was one of the worst units in the entire NFL and a major reason, along with injuries to Jayden Daniels and others, the Commanders went from the NFC Championship Game to 5-12.

If Jones can help the unit closer resemble some of the ones he had in Minnesota