Kliff Kingsbury's Ties to Caleb Williams Add Another NFL Draft Wrinkle

Let the NFL Draft speculation begin—or at least continue.

The Washington Commanders officially named Kliff Kingsbury the team's new offensive coordinator on Monday morning, and pundits around the league couldn't help but connect the dots to a potential reunion with top prospect Caleb Williams.

Kingsbury spent last year—his first after being fired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals—as a senior offensive analyst at USC, where he worked closely with the Trojans' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Williams, who is from Washington, D.C., congratulated his mentor on Instagram when the Commanders' intentions were widely reported on Sunday evening. Washington holds the No. 2 pick in April's draft. The consensus is that Williams will go No. 1.

All these factors don't necessarily mean that Kingsbury—originally slated to join the Las Vegas Raiders as OC before dropping out in favor of Washington's opening—was brought in strictly for his Williams connection. Far from it.

But that hasn't stopped the NFL world from going full "Charlie Day on Always Sunny" conspiracy mode. And more fuel has since been added to the buzz.

"They have a great relationship," USC head coach Lincoln Riley said of Williams and Kingsbury on Monday on Good Morning Football. "It was awesome for Caleb to have [Kliff]....In a perfect world would I look back and love for some type of reunion, for that to happen? That would be great. But we all know there's a lot of things out of everyone's control."

Regardless of Kingsbury's link to Williams, how the Commanders approach April's draft will be the overarching question for Washington in an offseason full of them.

The Commanders are coming off a 4-13 season that led to the firing of head coach Ron Rivera and an organizational overhaul. Washington's ownership, in its first full offseason in control, brought in Adam Peters as general manager and more recently former Atlanta Falcons head coach and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to lead the team.

"We cannot wait to help usher in a new era of Washington Commanders football," Quinn said, via the team website, in a statement upon his hiring. "The organization has an outstanding vision, and I'm honored to be a part of what's next."

Added Peters: "This is not a total rebuild."

Even if the Commanders are optimistic, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Between its draft assets and a projected $73 million in 2024 cap space, via OverTheCap, the Commanders will have to address their league-worst defense, an offensive line that allowed 65 sacks last season and yes, among other things, a quarterback.

Sam Howell started all 17 games for Washington last season, although he would have been benched late in the year if not for an injury to backup Jacoby Brissett. The first-year starter led the league in passing attempts, which translated to 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, plus a passer rating toward the bottom of the league.

Peters said at his introductory press conference last month that the team will evaluate its quarterback room just like it would any other position and decide how to move forward. That could, of course, include taking a QB in the draft.

Washington, if it goes QB with the second overall pick, is by most experts projected to take former North Carolina signal-caller Drake Maye, who is also well-versed in the spread offense that Kingsbury is expected to implement. Or, if the Kingsbury-Williams breadcrumbs takes a turn into more than conjecture, the Commanders could try to swing a deal with the Chicago Bears at No. 1.

If the Bears say no, it's a moot point. But if Chicago is interested in dealing the top pick for the second year in a row, it could cost Washington more than the significant package of four draft picks and a star wide receiver that the Carolina Panthers dealt last year. A chance to take Williams, though, may prove to be worth it.

Kingsbury's hire added a new wrinkle into Washington's busy offseason. But the full impact of the move remains to be seen—at least until draft day.

"It's a great opportunity," Peters said in mid-January of owning the No. 2 pick. "...We're gonna have a great process in deciding what we do there. But...we're far from making the decision on that. We're looking forward to diving into that process."