David Blough Is 30, Talks Nonstop, and Commanders Insiders Say That’s Exactly What They Needed

Mike Garafolo doesn’t usually sound this enthusiastic about a first-time offensive coordinator. But here we are.

The NFL Network insider went on record this week to say David Blough has given the Washington Commanders a jolt that goes beyond X’s and O’s. And honestly, the timing makes sense. Washington fired Kliff Kingsbury after a 2025 season that cratered hard — they missed the playoffs entirely, a year after going to the NFC Championship Game. That kind of falloff usually triggers some kind of shakeup.

So the Commanders promoted Blough from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. He’s 30. That’s young enough that he was literally playing in NFL games three years ago.

“The new offensive coordinator, David Blough, has been a shot of energy,” Garafolo said, according to Monumental Sports Network. “This place is a little more laid back. Blough is ‘go, go, go, go, go,’ and he still, in his mind, is kind of in that age bracket of being a player, not too far removed from that, so you see that energy coming across everybody.”

Why moving on from Kingsbury still feels like a gamble

The head-scratcher for a lot of people is why Washington moved off Kingsbury at all. He was the guy who built the scheme that turned Jayden Daniels into one of the best rookie quarterbacks in recent memory two years ago. Daniels won Rookie of the Year. The offense looked dynamic. The future seemed bright.

Then 2025 happened. And Dan Quinn and the front office decided they needed a different voice in the room.

Kingsbury wasn’t some old-school dinosaur either. He’s 46. It’s not like age was the issue. But there’s a difference between being young and being fresh off the field. Blough was in a Detroit Lions huddle in 2022. He knows what modern defensive looks feel like from the quarterback’s perspective. That matters when you’re trying to connect with a roster that skews young.

Blough’s promotion was a surprise to some NFL people, but the feedback from inside the building has been positive so far. Players respond to his tempo. The vibe in Ashburn is different. Whether that translates to wins is the open question.

Washington opens the 2026 season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Tough spot for a first-time play-caller. But the guy calling the shots is used to being the underdog. He went undrafted out of Purdue. Nothing about his path has been easy. That might be exactly the kind of chip this roster needs.