Daronte Jones to Hire New Defensive Passing Coordinator After Jason Simmons Leaves for Steelers

Commanders’ secondary struggles highlight importance of next hire

Daronte Jones, the newly minted defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, has found himself thrown straight into the deep end. With Jason Simmons packing his bags for the Pittsburgh Steelers to reunite with Mike McCarthy, Jones now faces the tall order of finding a new captain for the Commanders’ defensive passing ship. In Pittsburgh, injury concerns are also shaping preparations, as seen in the Jaylen Warren illness update ahead of their clash with Miami.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: last season, Washington’s secondary was more sieve than steel curtain, surrendering the fifth-most passing yards per game in the NFL at 242 yards. The pressure to improve on defense comes at the same time the offense is dealing with uncertainty, highlighted in the Jayden Daniels injury update. It’s no wonder fans and pundits alike are clamoring for a shake-up—whether that means fresh faces on the coaching staff, new talent on the field, or, ideally, both.

Jones has built his reputation on a defensive scheme that leans heavily on the secondary, blending zone and match coverage with a dash of blitz-happy aggression from defensive backs. Whoever steps into the defensive passing coordinator role will need to hit the ground running, fitting seamlessly into Jones’ system and, hopefully, patching up those leaky coverage holes. Roster upgrades are also being discussed on the other side of the ball, including Washington’s pursuit of Alec Pierce to boost the offense.

There’s also a spotlight on developing young guns like Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos—think of them as promising seedlings in need of the right gardener. Some folks are whispering that Will Harris could be a natural fit for Jones’ style, while others are already daydreaming about Caleb Downs as a potential draft-day addition to shore up the secondary.

With key coaching positions still up for grabs, Commanders fans are watching with bated breath (and maybe a stress ball or two) to see how Jones assembles his staff and tackles the team’s defensive woes. The moves made in the coming weeks could be the difference between another season of nail-biting frustration or a long-awaited turnaround in Washington.