Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner has a new job. The Las Vegas Raiders announced Friday they hired Turner as the team’s pass game coordinator. Turner joins the staff of head coach Josh McDaniels.
Turner spent the last three seasons in Washington, as he arrived shortly following the hire of head coach Ron Rivera in 2020. Rivera and Turner worked together with the Carolina Panthers. Turner was the Panthers offensive coordinator during Rivera’s final season as head coach in 209.
The Commanders’ offenses were 30th, 21st, and 20th in yards in those three seasons. Washington fired Turner after the team finished 8-8-1 in 2022.
It’s worth noting the Commanders struggled to find a quarterback during Turner’s tenure. Eight quarterbacks took snaps in a Washington uniform, with Turner calling plays. The one constant quarterback that seemingly stuck was Taylor Heinicke. Turner recommended Heinicke as the two worked together with the Minnesota Vikings and Panthers.
There seemed to be some philosophical differences between Turner and the Commanders last season. According to The Athletic’s Ben Standig, Turner was not on board with Washington trading for quarterback Carson Wentz.
The offense showed flashes with Wentz early on. But as the season progressed, Wentz’s play regressed before suffering a broken finger in Week 6 that sidelined him for nine games. Heinicke played in his absence, but Rivera opted to turn back to Wentz in Week 17 with the Commanders’ playoff hopes on the line.
It didn’t work out, as Wentz’s three interceptions led to a Commanders’ loss to the Cleveland Browns. Turner got dismissed after winning Week 18 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys with fifth-round rookie Sam Howell starting at quarterback.
Turner drew criticism from Washington fans and players for the offense’s struggles.
Scott Turner joins McDaniels in Vegas with some good pieces on offense in place. The Raiders were 11th in the league in passing. Las Vegas has star wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Darren Waller under contract. All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs is set to be a free agent. But he is a candidate for a franchise tag. However, the Raiders don’t have a quarterback.
The team is parting ways with four-time Pro Bowl QB Derek Carr. Turner may be coordinating the passing game for a quarterback that is not currently under contract. Whether that is Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo, or a rookie remains to be seen.
