Ben Steele’s Brief Stint as Manager Comes to an End

It seems Ben Steele didn’t stay long in his role as manager. The tight ends coach, who had just joined the team back in February, was released by the organization on Monday, alongside Washington. The decision to “break up” with him came as a surprise.

Steele’s firing followed his arrest last month on charges related to drunk driving. Virginia court documents reveal he is facing additional allegations for refusing blood and breath tests, resisting a police officer without force, and changing lanes without signaling.

According to reports, Steele was placed on administrative leave after his manager learned about his arrest, with his firing attributed to a violation of team policy.

Interestingly, former receiver Wes Welker stepped in as the interim tight ends coach during minicamp while Steele was absent. It’s expected that a permanent replacement will be announced soon.

As for training camp, that starts on Wednesday, just around the corner.

Steele, who is 48, was brought on during the winter after a noteworthy three seasons coaching the tight ends with the Cardinals. Before that, he held roles with the Broncos and Vikings as an assistant offensive line coach and even had a stint as tight ends coach with the Vikings and Buccaneers.

During Steele’s time with Arizona, one standout was tight end Trey McBride, who became a top receiver, amassing over 1,100 yards in the past two seasons under Steele’s guidance.

In Washington, Steele was supposed to help develop Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, and Ben Synnott—definitely a tall order considering the team’s recent struggles.

The Commanders had a disappointing season last year, finishing at 5-12 after Jaden Daniels’s impressive rookie campaign and a trip to the conference championship the previous year. Daniels managed to play only seven games this season due to injuries but is eyeing a comeback in 2026 under third-year head coach Dan Quinn.

Looking ahead, the Commanders will kick off their season against the Eagles in Philadelphia on September 13th. It’s sure to be an interesting matchup.