Kliff Kingsbury takes coaching risk as he pᴀsses on interview chances

Kliff Kingsbury takes coaching risk as he pᴀsses on interview chances

Kliff Kingsbury is expected to be among the most sought-after head coaching candidates this offseason, but he doesn’t plan to listen to other teams while the Commanders are alive in the postseason.

NBC Sports reports that Kingsbury is avoiding any head coaching interviews while he leads the Commanders’ offense in the playoffs, having yet to interview for any job virtually despite many candidates having already done so for vacant roles.

Teams began interviewing potential candidates last week, as ᴀssistants contracted by other teams were allowed to begin talking to potential employers last week through a virtual meeting only which can only last up to three hours, per league rules.

Kingsbury, 45, has requests in from the Saints and Bears to interview for their head coaching roles, both of whom have also been linked to Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, among others.

In-person interviews for ᴀssistants can begin on Jan. 20 unless that team is still active in the playoffs.

Kingsbury has helped develop Jayden Daniels to the second round of the playoffs.
Kingsbury has helped develop Jayden Daniels to the second round of the playoffs. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Many teams are already moving quickly to find their next coach, putting Kingsbury on the outside looking in.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is in a similar position to Kingsbury, but he is taking virtual meetings and appears to be getting far down the road with the Raiders for their head coaching vacancy.

Should the Commanders upset the Lions in the Divisional Round, teams looking for a coach will likely be forced to move on from Kingsbury if he indeed refuses to interview virtually during the week leading up to the NFC Championship game.

Kingsbury has the luxury of still being paid by the Cardinals after he received a five-year extension after the 2022 season believed to be for $37.5 million. Kingsbury was fired by Arizona a season later, but has resurrected his coaching appeal with a solid season in Washington with the help of star rookie QB Jayden Daniels.

With the first round of interviews nearly complete for most teams, round two is expected to begin on Jan. 20 when league rules allow for ᴀssistants to interview in-person unless their team is still in the postseason.

Kliff Kingsbury is focused only on the Commanders.
Kliff Kingsbury is focused only on the Commanders. AP

The Jets have not yet requested an interview with Kingsbury or Johnson but did recently complete a virtual interview with Texas offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Should the Commanders lose to the favored Lions on Saturday night, Kingsbury can then interview with any team in person as teams ramp up their offseason plans.

Related Posts

Breaking down the Jets’ exhaustive coaching search

Breaking down the Jets’ exhaustive coaching search

As the number of coaching candidates the Jets interview seems to grow by the hour, you have to wonder if Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman are getting…

Lions send hilarious TikTok message to viral 31-pound baby

Lions send hilarious TikTok message to viral 31-pound baby

Now is no time for jokes in Detroit. Or, so you’d think.  As Dan Campbell and the Lions prepare for the biggest game of the season, the…

Aaron Rodgers sends RFK Jr. warning to US Senate ahead of Trump cabinet confirmation hearing

Aaron Rodgers sends RFK Jr. warning to US Senate ahead of Trump cabinet confirmation hearing

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has issued something of a ‘heads-up’ to Congress ahead of a confirmation hearing for one of his friends, Robert F. Kennedy…

Vikings ‘really confident’ in J.J. McCarthy with critical QB decision looming

Vikings ‘really confident’ in J.J. McCarthy with critical QB decision looming

Whether the J.J. McCarthy era in Minnesota will begin in Week 1 of the 2025 season remains to be seen. But as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said,…

Tom Brady’s decision on future of 5m Fox deal is revealed by his agent amid Raiders conflict criticism

Tom Brady’s decision on future of $375m Fox deal is revealed by his agent amid Raiders conflict criticism

Tom Brady hasn’t even completed the first year of his blockbuster deal with Fox Sports but the NFL legend is already facing questions on whether he will…

Russell Wilson, Ciara devastated after death of their beloved dog: ‘Blessing to our family’

Russell Wilson, Ciara devastated after death of their beloved dog: ‘Blessing to our family’

It’s been a tough week for Russell Wilson.  Just days after Wilson and the Steelers were eliminated from Super Bowl contention in a wild-card whopping, the quarterback…