The Washington Commanders have found their defensive coordinator. On Monday evening, news broke that Washington was finalizing a deal to make Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Daronte Jones its new defensive coordinator.
Jones, 47, was the ninth and final name to have interviewed with the Commanders. The Commanders interviewed Jones over the weekend and quickly decided he was the right fit to lead Dan Quinn’s defense in 2026. Jones spent the past four seasons with the Vikings, first as defensive backs coach in 2022, before adding the defensive pass game coordinator title in 2023. He was considered an important part of Brian Flores’ defense in Minnesota.
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Jones had plenty of suitors this offseason. The Commanders were his fifth known interview, and he was considered the top contender to replace Flores in Minnesota if he landed a head coaching job. Jones replaces Joe Whitt Jr., who was fired on January 6 after two seasons as Washington’s defensive coordinator.
What do Commanders’ fans think of the hire? What about others in the NFL media world? Well, you can’t make everyone happy, but it seems like many Washington fans are happy with Jones’ hiring. We went to X to see how everyone reacted to Monday’s news and here are some of those reactions.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Top reactions to hiring Daronte Jones as DC