The Washington Commanders made an unconventional move when they hired assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough to be their offensive coordinator, and Fred Smoot loves it.
"It's already built-in synergy; I already know what the guy likes; I already know how I'm gonna challenge my quarterback," Smoot said in a recent episode of the "Get Loud" podcast. "I already know the pieces I have in the room."
The Commanders decided to overhaul their coaching staff following a 5-12 finish to the 2025 season, and that included parting ways with former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Washington had multiple external options they could have pursued, but Blough, who joined the coaching staff in 2024, remained a strong internal candidate, despite now being one of the youngest play-callers in the NFL.
Blough, a former quarterback whose professional career ended just two years ago, is highly regarded both at the Commanders' facility and around the league. He has a strong relationship with 2024 No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, and the two were regularly seen getting extra work together at practice, whether it was talking through the game plan or competing against each other.
Though his playing career lasted just five seasons, Blough has been exposed to some of the best offensive minds in the NFL today, from Kingsbury to Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. Smoot has confidence in Blough's ability to blend that experience together, and he believes the rest of the league did as well.
"When you get older coordinators, they have a DNA," Smoot said. "Well, this guy [Blough] is still evolving."
Smoot compared Blough's rise in notoriety to what current San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan experienced at the start of his career. Shanahan, now viewed as one of the most innovative coaches in the NFL, went from offensive quality control coach to offensive coordinator in four years, coaching for the Houston Texans, Washington, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons before being named the 49ers' head coach in 2017. He was just 28 years old when the Texans hired him.
It's too early to make any judgements on Blough's abilities as a play-caller, but there are similarities between his and Shanahan's rise up the coaching ranks. At 30 years old, Blough went from being the assistant quarterbacks coach to running the position on an interim basis once Tavita Pritchard became Stanford's head coach.
There was also the possibility that Blough could have been hired elsewhere -- a mistake head coach Dan Quinn said he made during his first stint as a head coach with the Falcons. Quinn didn't want to make that same mistake twice; he wanted Blough's success, whatever that might be, to come as a member of Washington's staff.
"It isn't like it's this true reboot of a start," Smoot said. "But it's a new vision from a more youthful person."
