Commanders fire TE coach Ben Steele after DWI charge
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- Washington Commanders fired tight ends coach Ben Steele on Monday, two days before training camp begins, more than a month after his June 7 arrest in Loudoun County, Virginia
- Ben Steele was also charged with obstruction/resisting without force and refused a blood/breath test, according to court documents; he was released on his own recognizance
- Steele was placed on leave during spring practices and missed the final two OTA workouts plus the following week's minicamp
- Wes Welker, an offensive assistant, and David Raih — recently promoted from tight ends coach to pass game coordinator — worked with the position group in Steele's absence
- The Commanders hired Steele in the offseason to fill Raih's old role, bringing him over from the Arizona Cardinals where he was credited in part with tight end Trey McBride's development
- Steele previously served as an offensive assistant under Dan Quinn in Atlanta in 2019 and was the Falcons' tight ends coach in 2020, and also coached with Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Denver
Why it matters: The timing — a firing two days before training camp, a full month after the arrest — raises questions about the team's internal accountability process during the offseason. For Washington, the move now forces a position group already mid-transition (Raih had already been promoted) to rely on Welker and internal staff as camp opens.
