#Panthers OC Scott Turner is interviewing with new #Redskins coach Ron Rivera today for the vacant OC job, source said. Incumbent Kevin O’Connell is considered the favorite, but Turner, whose work impressed this year, could potentially end up as his QB coach if he’s not the OC.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2020
The Washington Redskins are moving forward with their decision to interview prospective offensive coordinators for the future, as their current OC Kevin O’Connell might not be long for the job.
Take this all with a grain of salt, because there are a number of things that can be drawn from the situation.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, new Redskins head coach Ron Rivera is conducting an interview with Scott Turner — the son of longtime NFL coach Norv Turner — who was the OC for the Carolina Panthers under Rivera. Turner, who is 37-years-old, started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oregon State University in 2005, and he has moved through the NFL and college ranks since then, spending time with the Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Minnesota Vikings.
Turner’s potential is great, as his father was one of the better offensive coaches since the turn of the century, and he has a high upside in the NFL. However, you may be wondering what this means for current OC Kevin O’Connell, who has been compared to the likes of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan over the past year. Rivera has not officially named O’Connell the OC in Washington, nor has O’Connell declared that he wants to keep that job. But does the consideration for Turner mean that KOC is out in Washington?
Not exactly. In fact, there is a scenario that is likely to play out, and it greatly benefits all parties involved. In that scenario, KOC — who is under contract for at least one more year — is named as the OC, and Turner is named the QB coach. In the future, whether that be next year or a few years down the road, KOC will be able to take the head coaching jobs he earns due to high production in Washington, and Turner steps up into the OC position, and repeat. This would keep a solid line of continuity in the Redskins’ offense, which is ideal for rookie QB Dwayne Haskins.
Of course, there are a number of other possibilities that can easily happen, such as KOC asking out this year, and Turner coming right into the OC position, giving Haskins a new playbook to learn less than a year after he started to figure out the first one.
Until anything concrete happens, all we can do is speculate. However, don’t be too quick to think that KOC is out just because Turner might be in. There is a highly plausible outcome here that bolsters the offense in Washington.
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