Sportsnaut
As the Washington Commanders report to training camp in Ashburn, Virginia, the coaching staff has already taken an unexpected hit. With the first practice set for July 29, the team announced Monday that it has parted ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele, just months after bringing him on board.
Steele spent parts of seven seasons as an NFL tight end before hanging up his cleats and jumping into coaching. After getting his start in the college ranks, he broke into the NFL in 2014 and made stops with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals. The Commanders hired him in March, but his stint in Washington ended before he ever coached a regular-season snap. Now, fresh details are shedding light on what led to the surprising split.
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According to Yahoo Sports on X, Steele was arrested in Loudoun County on June 7 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, per Virginia court records. He was also charged with refusing a blood or breath test and with obstructing or resisting an officer without force.
While the news caught many by surprise, Steele had already been away from the team for weeks. After notifying the Commanders of his arrest, he was placed on administrative leave and did not participate in minicamp. During his absence, offensive assistant Wes Welker stepped in to oversee the tight ends. On Monday, Washington officially moved on from Steele, citing a violation of team policy.
The timeline now appears much clearer. Steele’s June arrest led to him reporting the incident to the organization, which immediately sidelined him from team activities. With training camp just around the corner, head coach Dan Quinn is expected to name a new tight ends coach soon. Former tight ends coach David Raih, now Washington’s offensive passing game coordinator, is also in a position to help bridge the gap if needed.
Fortunately for the Commanders, this coaching shake-up isn’t likely to derail the offense heading into camp. Steele never made it through minicamp with the team, so the tight ends have already spent time working under Welker. While losing a position coach days before camp is far from ideal, Washington has enough continuity on staff to keep the room on schedule until a permanent replacement is in place.
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