National Football League

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury: Patrick Mahomes would be 'ideal fit'

Published Feb. 16, 2024 9:56 a.m. ET

New Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury thinks that a three-time Super Bowl champion would thrive in his system.

"The Chiefs quarterback," Kingsbury joked to the Washington press core Thursday when asked about the "ideal fit" to run his offense. "I do think the game, you watch those guys, Brock [Purdy] and him at the end, when the money's on the table, you gotta be able to make some plays with your feet, move around enough to escape a bad play. It doesn't mean you gotta run like Lamar [Jackson] or Kyler Murray, but you better be able to move a little bit and buy yourself some time because the D-Line, the rushes, the defenses these days are so good.

"And then the intangibles: you want that player to be the hardest worker on your team. You want him to lead those guys each and every day when he shows up in the building, you want him to lift the building up. That's why the guys make the ton of money they do."

That "Chiefs quarterback" is, of course, the NFL's best, Patrick Mahomes, whose Chiefs just won their second consecutive Super Bowl and have won three of the last five championships.

Kingsbury was Mahomes' head coach at Texas Tech throughout his three years playing for the school (2014-16).

Kingsbury was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-22 and most recently served as a senior offensive analyst for head coach Lincoln Riley at USC last season. He was hired to be Washington's offensive coordinator under new head coach and former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Washington currently boasts quarterback Sam Howell, who had his moments early on last season — finishing with 3,946 passing yards and five rushing touchdowns — but also led the NFL with 21 interceptions in what was his first run as a full-time NFL starter. As a whole, Washington averaged just 219.1 passing yards (18th in the NFL), 93.6 rushing yards (27th), 312.8 total yards (24th) and 19.4 points (25th) per game.

Commanders hire Kliff Kingsbury as OC after pulling out of Raiders deal

The Commanders pick second in the 2024 NFL Draft, where there will be several quarterbacks available, such as 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels or UNC's Drake Maye. USC's Caleb Williams, who Kingsbury coached last season, is reportedly "likely" to be selected by the Chicago Bears at No. 1.

The Commanders are coming off a 4-13 season and haven't made the playoffs since 2020.

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