After the way his tenure with the New York Giants ended, it's no secret that Brian Daboll has no business being an NFL head coach anytime soon, which is evidenced by mismanagement of the locker room. But that doesn't change the fact he is a more than viable OC candidate for other teams.
Related: Giants fans will hate every one of these possible Brian Daboll landing spots
Daboll will always have a place coaching in the NFL, due to his status as a "QB guru," which has linked him to the Raiders' vacancy at offensive coordinator. But after Kliff Kingsbury and the Washington Commanders parted ways, the 50-year-old has a chance to coach against the Giants in the NFC East.
Initial reports indicate that Daboll will be a name to watch for the Commanders' OC opening, which isn't overly surprising. Dan Quinn chose to move on from Kingsbury because his system doesn't align with Quinn's vision for Jayden Daniels, who struggled to stay healthy in his second NFL season.
Brian Daboll would be the perfect OC candidate for the Washington Commanders
When it comes to the quarterback position, Daboll's track record speaks for itself. The failed Giants' head coach was the mastermind behind the development of both Josh Allen and Jaxson Dart, and his sole season as OC at Alabama saw him help develop both Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa in 2017.
It's no secret that Daboll is a massive fan of the Heisman Trophy winner, as he wanted Joe Schoen to trade up for him or Drake Maye during the 2024 pre-draft process. Unfortunately, this never came to fruition, but at least the Giants drafted Daniels' LSU teammate Malik Nabers just four picks later.
Daniels enjoyed a sensational rookie season in Washington that saw him lead a Commanders team from the bottom of the NFL to the NFC Championship in just one season. The 25-year-old totaled over 4,000 scrimmage yards and 30 touchdowns in 2024, which saw him be named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
However, in 2025, he made just seven starts, and the Washington offense fell off a cliff, which the second-year OC was mainly to blame for. While injuries took their toll, the big red flag was the lack of a run game, which was supposed to be something Kliff was supposed to revitalize when coming over.
The craziest part is that Kingsbury is reportedly receiving head coaching consideration despite being a below average head coach in Arizona and an adequate coordinator with the Commanders. His college-style scheme was a good fit for Daniels, but Daboll's QB-friendly scheme is even better.
Daboll likes to air out the football, but he's also willing to get creative with his signal-caller's mobility, as evidenced by his usage of Dart throughout his rookie season. Daniels is also far more mobile than the Ole Miss product, so there's no telling what he could accomplish with a QB with his dynamic skillset.
By the looks of it, a move to Washington could turn out to be just what he needs to prove he deserves another shot as a head coach -- if he doesn't run back to the college ranks, that is.