Washington Commanders Fire Tight Ends Coach Following DWI Arrest on Eve of Training Camp

A Dismissal That Was Weeks in the Making

The Washington Commanders fired tight ends coach Ben Steele on Monday, two days before training camp began, and more than a month after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. The move was abrupt on the surface — but behind the scenes, the situation had been quietly unraveling since early June.

On June 7 in Loudoun County, Virginia — where the Commanders train — Steele was charged with DWI after he was observed to "change course after signal," according to Loudoun County General District Court. According to court documents, Steele refused a blood/breath test and was released on his own recognizance. Steele was stopped at 1:15 a.m. near the Commanders' facility, and the Sheriff's department determined he was intoxicated before transporting him to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

The Team's Response: Quiet, Then Swift

Reports indicate that Steele was dismissed due to a violation of team policy, and that he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on June 7, facing additional charges for refusing to take a blood/breath test and obstructing or resisting an officer without force. Steele notified the Commanders about the arrest, and the team informed the league and placed Steele on paid leave.

The Commanders announced the news with a cryptic post on their official X account, writing "We are parting ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele," and had already removed Steele's bio from their official website by the time their post went live. The team added only that it would have "no further comment at this time" — a tight-lipped response that spoke volumes about the seriousness with which the organization treated the situation.

Who Is Ben Steele?

Steele, 48, was hired by the Commanders in February after he coached tight ends for three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals under Jonathan Gannon, joining Dan Quinn's staff in Washington after Gannon was fired by Arizona. Prior to his three years with the Cardinals, Steele had assistant coaching stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos, working in roles ranging from offensive quality control to tight ends coach to assistant offensive line coach. Steele played six seasons in the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Mesa State.

Washington had hired a new tight ends coach back in February, but after five months with the team, the assistant coach's time with the franchise was over. The timing — just as the team prepared to open camp — made an already uncomfortable situation even more disruptive.

What Comes Next for Washington

With Steele on leave, offensive assistant Wes Welker had worked with the tight ends at minicamp. Welker appeared to be the frontrunner to take over the tight end room, having run tight end position drills during mandatory minicamp while Steele was on administrative leave — a shift that wouldn't disrupt the rest of the offensive staff.

For a Commanders team that has worked hard to rebuild its culture under head coach Dan Quinn, this episode is a reminder that off-field conduct carries real consequences. The franchise acted deliberately — gathering facts, notifying the league, and placing Steele on leave before making a final call. Quinn was expected to name a replacement tight ends coach on Tuesday, the same day the full Commanders squad was due to report to training camp. How quickly Washington settles the position will be one of the early storylines to watch as the 2026 season gets underway.