As it turns out, Magic Johnson did help deliver Kliff Kingsbury to the Washington Commanders as offensive coordinator.
Two weeks ago, it appeared that Kingsbury was landing back in the NFL as the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, the next day, we heard Kingsbury was in the mix to be the next offensive coordinator for Dan Quinn and the Commanders.
What happened?
On Feb. 5, NFL insider Ian Rapoport went on the NFL Network to say it was Johnson — one of Washington’s minority owners — who helped Kingsbury decide the Commanders were the right fit for him.
We didn’t hear anything else regarding Johnson and Kingsbury.
Until this week.
New Raiders coach — and former Washington linebacker — Antonio Pierce joined “The Pivot” podcast with another former Washington player, Ryan Clark, where he was asked about Kingsbury ending up with the Commanders.
Pierce gave a nod to Johnson.
“National Football League, not for long,” Pierce said when Clark asked him what happened with Kingsbury. “So, you’re right; I thought we had a guy, but not for long. Til you put pen to paper, that’s the one thing I’ve learned. No different than in free agency. Teams are recruiting, and things are going on. Listen, Magic Johnson is pretty good. I guess he can still dish it out a little bit. If I’m losing to Magic, I’m ok with that. At the end of the day, if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. That’s fine.”
Here’s the exact clip:
Raiders HC Antonio Pierce on @thepivot thinking Kliff Kingsbury was his new OC and @MagicJohnson dialing up a play to lure him away to Washington in the final seconds. pic.twitter.com/Li46OTuGlP
— Saint (@SaintWah) February 14, 2024
Pierce and Clark go way back. Pierce entered the NFL in 2001 as an undrafted free agent from Arizona. Marty Schottenheimer gave him a chance, and he’d eventually become a starting linebacker. Clark joined Washington in 2004, and they instantly became friends as former undrafted free agents and unsung heroes on a terrific defense.
As for Johnson, it’s good to see the Commanders using every resource available, including one of the best athletes of all time, to help them land the coach they wanted.
Here’s the entire episode: