Commanders tab Wes Welker to coach tight ends after staff change
ASHBURN, Va. — The Commanders didn’t have to look far to find a replacement tight ends coach.
Coach Dan Quinn announced Tuesday, on the eve of the team’s first training camp practice, that offensive assistant Wes Welker will lead the group going forward, though it’s not yet clear if he will assume the formal title.
He takes over for Ben Steele, who was fired after his June 7 arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Virginia.
Turning to Welker provides the Commanders with a fairly seamless transition, given his experience with the team, his recent stint coaching the tight ends during minicamp, and, of course, his body of work as a receiver and wide receivers coach.
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He joined the Commanders in 2025 after spending the previous six seasons as a wide receivers coach, first with the 49ers (2019-21) and then the Dolphins (2022-24). His initial title in Washington was personnel analyst, helping the defensive staff and filling in for assistant special teams coach Brian Schneider, who has been receiving cancer treatment.
When the Commanders remade their offensive staff and tabbed David Blough as their coordinator, Welker was appointed offensive assistant, giving the team — and especially its pass catchers — another coach with a lengthy playing resume.
“He played with a couple quarterbacks that did pretty well, and he’s got a unique insight on what that could look like with Tom (Brady), with Peyton (Manning) and the nuances that you want to get to as a receiver and a quarterback,” Quinn said during organized team activities (OTAs) in June. “The connection, the timing — I’m going to call (them) idiosyncrasies — but he can get to the smallest details. So, it’s been really good to have him fully with the offense this year.”
A 5-foot-9 undrafted receiver out of Texas Tech, Welker signed with the Chargers in 2004 and played 12 seasons in the NFL. He played for five teams in his career, but his prime was with the Patriots (2007-12), with whom he earned five Pro Bowl selections and four All-Pro honors (two first team). He also led the league in catches three times (2007, ’09, ’11) and finished his career with the most catches (903) of any undrafted player.
Arguably the game’s greatest slot receiver, Welker parlayed his playing days into a coaching career, starting as an offensive and special teams assistant with the Houston Texans (2017-19) before moving on to San Francisco.
He’s essentially now the Commanders’ third coach to work with the tight ends in the last seven months.
Steele held the role for all of five months following the promotion of David Raih to passing game coordinator. The Commanders placed Steele on leave in June, shortly after his arrest in Sterling, Va., and announced his firing on Monday. In his absence, Welker coached the tight ends during the final phase of the team’s offseason program.
Along with the DWI, Steele faces additional charges for refusing a chemical breath test and obstructing/resisting an officer without force. All three charges are Class 1 misdemeanors in Virginia. A first-offense DWI is punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine ranging from $250 to $2,500 and a one-year driver’s license suspension. His next hearing is Aug. 13 in Loudoun County District Court.