There is no shortage of quality candidate than could likely achieve these missions, should the Redskins be able to woo them.
1. Mike Tomlin
Tomlin landed a contract extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, securing him but not for the intensely long term. He's only locked in through the 2021 season, and things aren't going well this year for the Black and Yellow crew -- to say the least. Even before losing Ben Roethlisberger for the season with an elbow injury, the Steelers simply haven't performed up to snuff on a consistent basis. That said, Tomlin is still easily one of the best coaches in the NFL and it's possible a fresh start will do him some good if he can't keep the boat afloat with Mason Rudolph. A Super Bowl-winning leader of men that almost always has the entire locker room on his side is something that would play very well in Washington, but Tomlin would truly need to be in the mood to take on a massive rebuild and to deal with the likes of Snyder after having spent years under the fur-lined class of the Rooney family. His son, Dino, does play football for the University of Maryland -- by the way -- and taking the Redskins job would allow him more time to take in those games and help coach his son up.
2. Bill Callahan
This will be the more obvious choice, and for several reasons. The whole "bird in the hand" adage is one, because Callahan has the inside track to landing the permanent coaching position after having now been named interim head coach. That means he's getting an interview that will last the next 11 games -- at minimum -- as the Redskins watch his every move to determine if he's the man for the job. A former play-caller and offensive line coach for the rival Dallas Cowboys, Callahan proved his worth in North Texas before things went sour following the insistence of head coach Jason Garrett to bring in and then hand over play-calling duties to now-ousted offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. Callahan had the offense firing on all cylinders before then, and might be able to do the same in Washington; no longer having to run his ideas through Gruden -- who reportedly didn't want to draft first-round pick Dwayne Haskins anyway. Callahan already has a relationship with Snyder and Allen, and is one of the best offensive line coaches and play-callers around. If his 3/4 season tryout goes well, the job is essentially his to lose or wave off.
There's continuing dysfunction in D.C., so Jason La Canfora and John Breech broke down the Jay Gruden firing and much more on the Pick Six Podcast. Listen to the full show below and be sure to subscribe right here for daily NFL goodness.
3. Eric Bieniemy
The Redskins need a jolt of adrenaline on the offensive side of the ball, and Bieniemy would certainly provide it. As current offensive coordinator for the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs, his name is atop most lists as potential head coach in 2020 -- as it was going into the 2019 season. That level of intense interest isn't going away as long as the Chiefs offense keeps blasting through opposing defenses -- the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 notwithstanding -- and the Redskins could certainly do much worse than to bring in a guy whose offense has averaged nearly 30 points per game this season and more than 35 ppg last year. Bieniemy is also key in the development of Patrick Mahomes, and first-round pick Dwayne Haskins -- whom no one is comparing to Mahomes just yet -- does have the same dual-threat skill set. If Snyder and Allen can convince Bieniemy their dysfunction is simply a narrative (good luck) and that they'll invest in weapons on the offensive line and wide receiver, he might at least pick up the phone and listen.
Comments