John Bates and Ben Sinnott
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The Washington Commanders hired the coach of an NFL leader to fix a struggling position group.
It hasn’t taken long for the Washington Commanders to find their next tight ends coach, and judging by the high-profile hire, the team is serious about upgrading the struggling position group.
The intent is shown by the Commanders “hiring Ben Steele as their tight ends coach,” per a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Friday, February 27. Pelissero noted how as “a former NFL tight end, Steele spent the past three years with the Cardinals, coaching Trey McBride.”
Helping Arizona Cardinals star McBride become the most prolific tight end in the NFL for 2025 makes Steele a worthy replacement for David Raih. The latter secured a key promotion under first-year offensive coordinator David Blough earlier in the day.
Steele’s first job as Raih’s successor will be helping salvage a draft flop who is expected to produce bigger things in Blough’s system. The arrival of Steele could also impact the future of incumbent Zach Ertz, who worked with the coach for a year in Arizona before joining the Commanders in 2024.
Ertz plans to play this year, but he’s still ticketed for 2026 NFL free agency. Steele’s presence could prompt the Commanders to target a younger, more dynamic athlete at the position.
Somebody capable of replicating what McBride produced on Steele’s watch.
Commanders Chasing Trey McBride Blueprint
Blough and Raih are right to chase the blueprint that helped McBride lead his position with league-highs in receptions (126) and yards (1,239) last season, setting a record in the process.
It was the second year in a row McBride had snatched over 100 catches on Steele’s watch, making him “the first TE in NFL history to have 100+ receptions in back-to-back seasons,” per NFL Plus.
That’s the kind of output the Commanders have sought at tight end. It’s why they signed veteran Ertz and why the team used a second-round draft pick to take Sinnott.
The problem is neither offers the same playmaking upside as McBride. Nor does John Bates, arguably the best blocker at his position in football, but not a credible receiving threat.
Finding one of those will likely require the Commanders parting with top dollar in free agency.
Ben Steele Needs a New Playmaker
Steele has the experience and expertise to make a McBride plan work in Washington. His knowledge gained from a brief pro career spent with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans, among others, is first-rate, but what Steele doesn’t have is the right playmaking tight end on the Commanders’ roster.
Fortunately, there are some stellar options on this year’s veteran market. Including a dynamic, move-style target who tops this year’s class and is a good fit to replace Ertz.
Pursuing this option would take a chunk out of the $69,800,649 worth of space under the salary cap the Commanders are projected by Spotrac.com to have at their disposal.
Given the probable fees involved, general manager Adam Peters could be tempted into action by a more cost-effective move for one of the other available tight ends. Perhaps David Njoku, Cade Otton or Noah Fant would also be good fits as roving pass-catchers Steele can turn into prolific targets to aid third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels’ development.