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According to reports from NFL Insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, the Washington Commanders have added Steve Wilks to their defensive staff ahead of their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. The hiring was actually decided back in September, but Wilks didn't begin working with the team until last week.
Wilks will contribute to game planning and will work under head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. However, he will not be present with the team on game days.
Wilks brings a wealth of NFL experience, including two Super Bowl appearances. He was the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2015 when they reached Super Bowl 50. He then served as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and as interim head coach of the Panthers in 2022.
In 2023, Wilks returned to the Super Bowl as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, whose defense ranked third in scoring, allowing 17.5 points per game. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2025 before being fired in December.
Washington's defense has been a model of inconsistency, entering the bye week at 1-4-1. In their last game, they surrendered 303 total yards and 17 first downs in the first half, then tightened up to allow only 72 yards in the second half. Currently, the defense gives up 28.7 points per game, ranking 29th in the league through six matchups. The scheme isn't the problem; it's the execution that has been lacking.
Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic notes that Wilks "comes in on Sundays and leaves after Wednesday practice." Essentially, the move adds another defensive perspective to the room, not another game-day decision-maker.
Wilks's knowledge will be particularly beneficial for Jones, who is in his first year as an NFL coordinator. It's important to stress that Wilks has no playcalling duties and is there to make the staff's job easier.
The real gauge will come after the bye, when everyone will see whether any consistency changes are visible. Adding another football mind doesn't guarantee anything changes on the field. That's still up to Quinn, Jones, and the rest of the staff who will still be around Wednesday afternoons after Wilks leaves.
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Philip Hughes covers the Washington Commanders with a focus on daily news, film analysis, roster construction, player development, and the fan culture surrounding one of the NFL's most scrutinized teams.
A longtime sports writer and content creator, Hughes has spent more than 20 years building football audiences across the internet and following the daily beat of the NFC East.
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