04 February 2024 , 03:00
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Kliff Kingsbury has made a surprising U-turn, stepping away from an almost-agreed deal to become the new offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. It now seems likely he will take up the same role with the Washington Commanders.
NFL Network had reported that Kingsbury agreed to a deal with the Raiders after a year away from the NFL, working with Caleb Williams at USC. However, ESPN reports suggest that Kingsbury pulled out of the Raiders deal and could now join the Commanders, potentially reuniting with Williams through the 2024 NFL Draft.
It's been reported that Kingsbury told Las Vegas this weekend that he wouldn't be joining them. The Commanders might go for Williams, possibly needing a trade up to No. 1, and aim to pair him with Kingsbury. He's spoken highly of Williams in the past.
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“His joy for the game. His competitive spirit. The talent level is unbelievable," Kingsbury said of Williams on the "Conversations with Coach" podcast "Obviously, I’ve been around Patrick [Mahomes] and he’s eerily similar in some ways: the ability to extend plays, off-platform throws, and just the way they both play the game is pretty scary."
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Kingsbury is thought to be the top candidate for the Washington offensive coordinator role, which would give him full control over the offense after the team hired defence-focused coach Dan Quinn as their new head coach this week.
The Commanders have the No. 2 pick but could try to trade up with Chicago to secure the first pick in order to select Williams - seen as a standout prospect.
Kingsbury, who previously worked with Williams at USC, has a history of coaching in the NFL. He was head coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022, and before that, he was known for his time as Texas Tech's head coach where he mentored both Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes.
If the Commanders don't manage to secure Williams, they might look at other promising quarterbacks like Drake Maye from North Carolina and Jayden Daniels from LSU. After leaving Arizona, Kingsbury made news when he booked a one-way ticket to Thailand for a break from coaching. Now, it seems he's ready to get back into the game.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.