Commanders fire new tight end coach Ben Steele after DWI arrest

Ben Steele’s Commanders tenure was short-lived.The tight ends coach, who joined the team in February, was fired by the organization on Monday, with Washington confirming on X that they were “parting ways” with him.Steele’s firing comes after an arrest for suspicion of DWI last month.According to Virginia court records, Steele faces further charges for refusing a blood/breath test, obstructing or resisting an officer without force and changing course without signaling.The Athletic reported that Steele was placed on leave after the Commanders were informed of the arrest, and his firing is said to have come after he violated team policy.The report added that his replacement is expected to be named on Tuesday, though former receiver Wes Welker stepped in to coach the tight ends on an interim basis during minicamp with Steele out.Commanders training camp begins on Wednesday.Steele, 48, was hired this past winter after spending three seasons in the same role for the Cardinals.He has previously served as the assistant offensive line coach for the Broncos and Vikings, and also coached tight ends for the Vikings and Bucs.During Steele’s time in Arizona, tight end Trey McBride blossomed into the leading receiver among tight ends and finished with more than 1,100 yards in the last two seasons.Steele would have been tasked with helping Chig Okonkwo, John Bates and Ben Sinnott in Washington.The Commanders slumped to a 5-12 record last year following Jayden Daniels’ tremendous rookie season and a trip to the conference championship game the year before.Daniels played just seven games in the season due to various injuries, though he’ll hoping to bounce back in 2026 with head coach Dan Quinn at the helm for the third year.The Commanders begin their season on September 13 against the Eagles in Philadelphia....