English
EspañolIt's a busy week around the NFL. All 32 teams are in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 2026 NFL combine. While the Washington Commanders are represented in Indianapolis, led by GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, the team was busy making moves.
On Thursday night, Washington shockingly released starting center Tyler Biadasz. On Friday, the Commanders rounded out their offensive coaching staff, promoting tight ends coach David Raih to replace Brian Johnson as the offensive passing game coordinator. Washington then hired Ben Steele to replace Raih as tight ends coach. Those moves should complete new offensive coordinator David Blough's staff.
Commanders' fans are familiar with Raih, as he's been on the coaching staff for the past two seasons. But what about Steele?
Here are five things to know about Washington's new tight ends coach.
Played in the NFL
Ben Steele was a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end who played collegiately at NCAA Division II Mesa State (Grand Junction, Colorado). The San Francisco 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent in the 2001 NFL Draft. For the next six seasons, Steele bounced around the NFL, spending time with the 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks, Vikings, Packers and Texans before his career ended before the 2007 season. Steele would appear in 17 career games, catching four passes for 42 yards.
Ties to Dan Quinn
When Steele was a rookie tight end for the 49ers in 2001, Quinn was in his first season as an NFL assistant coach, serving as San Francisco's defensive quality control coach. Quinn, 31 at the time, had spent the previous seven seasons coaching at various colleges before getting his first break in the NFL. Quinn and Steele were together for two seasons with the 49ers. They would reunite again in 2019. Quinn was the head coach of the Falcons, and he hired Steele as an offensive assistant. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2020, Quinn's final season in Atlanta.
Helped develop Cardinals star Trey McBride
Former Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was Arizona's head coach when it spent a second-round pick on tight end Trey McBride in the 2022 NFL Draft. McBride made minimal impact as a rookie, and Kingsbury was fired after the season. Jonathan Gannon was hired as head coach, and he hired Steele as tight ends coach. McBride's career immediately took off under Steele's tutelage.
- 2023: 81 receptions, 825 yards, 3 touchdowns
- 2024: 111 receptions, 1,146 yards, 2 touchdowns
- 2025: 126 receptions, 1,239 yards, 11 touchdowns
Here's an excerpt of a story by ESPN's Josh Weinfuss on McBride in January 2025.
Two seasons ago, one of McBride's focus areas was his route depths, tight end coach Ben Steele said. When Steele would walk by McBride in the stretching lines this season, he had the same message for him: "The great ones show up every day."
"He's a complete tight end, which to me that's what a tight end does," Steele said. "They're not just slow receivers. If you don't block, you're just a slow receiver. So, he runs through people's face and he blocks people at the point of attack and most of the guys that get voted to the Pro Bowl, they don't do that.
Steele pushed McBride, helping him realize his potential. That's good news for Washington tight end Ben Sinnott, a former second-round pick entering his third NFL season in 2026.
Steele has taught the wide zone
Mark Bullock uncovered a coaching clinic by Steele, in which he taught the outsize zone running game. Does that sound familiar? When Washington moved on from Kingsbury and promoted Blough, the Commanders were expected to move to a zone blocking scheme. They also fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and replaced him with assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton. Why is this notable? Stapleton coached the offensive line at Florida before coming to Washington and taught the outside zone. This tells you that Blough is filling out his staff with like-minded coaches who are all on the same page with schemes and blocking principles.
Ben Steele outside zone coaching clinic? Don’t mind if I do pic.twitter.com/60NXWbtqqJ
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) February 28, 2026
Ben Johnson ties
Washington's offense is expected to look similar to the one Ben Johnson runs with the Bears, considering Blough's ties to Johnson. While Steele doesn't have any direct ties to Johnson, he spent the last three seasons in Arizona, working for offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Petzing is close with Johnson, as the two began their coaching careers together at Boston College back in 2010. Petzing is now Detroit's offensive coordinator.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: 5 things to know about new TE coach Ben Steele