The Washington Commanders are making a sudden coaching change as training camp begins. The team has fired tight ends coach Ben Steele.
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The team announced the news on Monday morning with a brief statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"We are parting ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele. The team will have no further comment at this time," the statement said.
While the Commanders did not provide further details about the decision to cut ties with Steele, reporters soon had the answer.
ESPN's John Keim noted that Steele was arrested in Loudon County, Virginia, on June 7. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, obstruction/resist without force, and refusing a blood/breath test.
The team had placed Steele on leave while offensive assistant Wes Welker worked with the tight ends during minicamp. Head coach Dan Quinn is expected to name a replacement on Tuesday.
The Commanders hired Steele this offseason while revamping the coaching staff. He joined Washington after three seasons with the Cardinals.
The tenure with the Cardinals featured tight end Trey McBride posting consecutive seasons with at least 1,100 receiving yards. McBride earned First-Team All-Pro honors last season after catching 11 touchdown passes.
Prior to joining the Cardinals, Steele spent time with multiple NFL franchises while coaching different position groups.
He started his career with the Buccaneers. He served as an offensive quality control coach and then coached tight ends from 2014-18. He also spent time with the Falcons as an offensive assistant and tight ends coach in 2019-20.
Steele's career continued with him working as an assistant offensive line coach for the Vikings in 2021. He held the same role with the Broncos in 2022.
Prior to entering the NFL as a coach, Steele spent two seasons playing for the Packers. He appeared in 17 games across 2004-05. He caught four passes for 42 yards, and he accounted for two first downs.
