It's the kind of news that lands like a gut punch on the eve of camp: a coach hired to fix a problem area is suddenly gone before he's even coached a real game.
Adam Schefter broke the news that Washington had moved on from its first-year tight ends coach.
Commanders have fired TEs coach Ben Steele, who was hired this offseason.
Steele wasn't some career backup hire, either. He spent the last 3 seasons as the Cardinals' tight ends coach, where he helped Trey McBride blossom into the NFL's premier tight end, breaking the single-season receptions record for the position with 126 catches, 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, plus back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. Dan Quinn brought Steele in this past February specifically to replicate that kind of development with Washington's tight end room, filling the spot vacated when David Raih got bumped up to pass game coordinator.
So why the abrupt exit less than 5 months after the hire? Reports have since surfaced that Steele was arrested on suspicion of DWI back on June 7, and now faces additional charges for refusing a blood/breath test and obstructing an officer without force. He reportedly self-reported the arrest to the team, which then informed the league and placed him on paid leave while it sorted out next steps. The Commanders' own statement kept it clipped and cold: they're parting ways with Steele, and there's no further comment coming.
That kind of silence from an organization usually means there's more to the story than a scheduling conflict or a philosophical disagreement about blocking schemes. Whatever the full picture turns out to be, the timing could not be worse for a Washington offense that's trying to build off last year's playoff run with a full slate of continuity everywhere else on staff.
Now Quinn has to scramble. He's reportedly expected to name a replacement tight ends coach as soon as Tuesday, the same day the full squad is due to report to training camp. That's an ugly speedrun for whoever steps in, having to get up to speed on install, personnel and camp logistics with essentially zero runway.
For a Commanders team with real expectations this season, losing a position coach right as pads are about to go on isn't a crisis by itself. But it's exactly the kind of distraction a program hoping to build on momentum could've done without, and it puts extra pressure on whoever Quinn taps to keep the tight end room from losing a beat.