Home Sports Football Commanders Are Adding Veteran Defensive Coach Steve Wilks To Coaching Staff

Commanders Are Adding Veteran Defensive Coach Steve Wilks To Coaching Staff

October 21, 2026

(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Washington Commanders are adding a veteran defensive coach to their staff.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Washington has hired Steve Wilks to work with the team’s coaches under head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.

Wilks is in the building to help with game planning during the week. Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic adds Wilks comes in on Sundays and departs after practice on Wednesdays.

The #Commanders have hired Steve Wilks to work with the defensive coaches under Dan Quinn and Daronte Jones, per me and @RapSheet. The decision to hire Wilks was made last month. He started last week.

Wilks will help with game planning. He won't be with the team on game days. pic.twitter.com/IQAjVQZPKb
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 21, 2026

This hiring is not in response to anything that happened in recent weeks or an indictment on Daronte Jones as DC. This has been in the works since before the start of the season, but he officially started last week. https://t.co/mCNisEhzQB
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 21, 2026

Wilks was most recently with the Jets last season as defensive coordinator, though he was fired in December. He was the Cardinals’ head coach in 2018.

The Commanders are 1-4-1 and sit in last place in the NFC East. They are currently on a Bye week.