The Washington Commanders announced Monday that they are parting ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele, less than five months after hiring him and just two days before the start of training camp.
“We are parting ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele. The team will have no further comment at this time,” the team said in a statement posted on X.
Multiple reports have added that decision stems from an arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated back in early June.
Steele joined the Commanders in late February after three seasons as tight ends coach for the Arizona Cardinals. He was hired to fill the vacancy created when David Raih was promoted to pass game coordinator under new offensive coordinator David Blough.
In Arizona, Steele oversaw the development of Trey McBride, who set an NFL single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 126 catches in 2025 (along with 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns) and earned consecutive Pro Bowl selections. McBride also posted 111 receptions and 1,146 yards in 2024.
A former NFL tight end, the 48-year-old Steele (born May 27, 1978) played collegiately at Fort Lewis and Mesa State before appearing in 17 games for the Green Bay Packers in 2004-05, recording four receptions for 42 yards. He also spent time with the 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks, Vikings, Texans and in NFL Europe.
Steele began his coaching career in 2008 at Colorado Mesa and had college stops at Colorado, California and UC Davis. He entered the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive quality control coach (2014-16) before serving as tight ends coach there (2017-18). He later worked as an offensive assistant and tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons (2019-20) under current Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, then as an assistant offensive line coach with the Minnesota Vikings (2021) and Denver Broncos (2022) before joining the Cardinals.
Steele becomes the latest coaching move for a Commanders staff that underwent significant offseason changes following a 5-12 season in 2025, including a new offensive coordinator and the promotion of Raih.