Ben Steele DWI charge leads Commanders to fire tight ends coach
Washington dismissed tight ends coach Ben Steele two days before camp, ESPN reported, after a June DWI arrest in Loudoun County.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Ben Steele DWI charge has already brought a football consequence: the Washington Commanders fired their tight ends coach Monday, ESPN reported, just two days before the team opens training camp.
Steele was arrested June 7 in Loudoun County, Virginia, where the Commanders train, according to Loudoun County General District Court records cited by ESPN. He was charged with driving while intoxicated after being observed to “change course after signal,” according to the court.
Court documents also show Steele was charged with obstruction or resisting without force, ESPN reported. The documents say Steele refused a blood or breath test, and he was released on his own recognizance.
Why did the Commanders fire Ben Steele?
The Commanders dismissed Steele more than a month after his arrest and shortly before training camp, according to ESPN. The team had previously placed him on leave, a team source told ESPN, while spring work was still underway.
ESPN reported that Steele missed Washington’s final two organized team activity workouts and the minicamp that followed. Offensive assistant Wes Welker and David Raih worked with the tight ends during that stretch, according to the report.
A DWI charge is an accusation tied to allegedly operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The court information reported by ESPN does not say Steele has been convicted.
No response from Steele was reported by ESPN.
Who is Ben Steele?
Washington hired Steele during the offseason to coach tight ends, ESPN reported. He took over the role Raih had held for the previous two seasons after Raih was promoted to pass game coordinator.
Before joining the Commanders, Steele spent the past three years on the Arizona Cardinals’ staff. ESPN reported that he was credited in part with the rise of Cardinals tight end Trey McBride.
Steele also has a previous connection to Commanders coach Dan Quinn. He worked as an offensive assistant under Quinn with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019, then became Atlanta’s tight ends coach the following year, according to ESPN.
His NFL coaching stops also include time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos, ESPN reported. Before coaching, Steele spent 2001 through 2006 as a player across six organizations.
What happens to the Commanders tight ends group?
Washington had already been operating without Steele during part of its spring program, according to ESPN. Welker and Raih handled the position group while Steele was away from the team.
The firing lands at a tricky point on the calendar. Training camp begins in two days, according to ESPN, leaving Washington to settle its tight ends coaching plan as players report for the next phase of preparation.
The Commanders’ decision closes Steele’s short stint with the club before he coached a training camp practice in Washington. ESPN reported the dismissal Monday from Ashburn, Virginia, where the team is based for camp.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.