The Washington Commanders are finalizing an agreement to hire Daronte Jones as their defensive coordinator, a league source told UPI on Tuesday.
Jones served as passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings last season. The Vikings allowed the third-fewest yards in the NFL, including the second-fewest passing yards in 2025 under Jones and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Jones spent five seasons with the Vikings. He was the defensive coordinator at LSU in 2021. He also worked as a defensive assistant and secondary coach with the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins.
He manned the collegiate sidelines at Wisconsin, Hawaii and UCLA.
The Commanders, who fired former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. on Jan. 6, allowed the most yards in the NFL, including the fifth-most passing yards. They allowed the 13th-fewest yards and third-fewest passing yards under Whitt in 2024, one season after they allowed the most passing yards and touchdowns in the NFL.
LIVE: DBs Coach Daronte Jones talks about the progress the secondary has made this season https://t.co/u2ose6zTXQ— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 20, 2020
Jones also interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and New York Jets in an attempt to fill their defensive coordinator vacancies.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (C) celebrates with teammates after the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 to win the World Series in Toronto on November 1, 2025. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
