Commanders fire TE coach Ben Steele following DWI arrest in Virginia, replace him with Wes Welker - Yahoo Sports

What the report says

Yahoo Sports reported that the Washington Commanders have dismissed tight ends coach Ben Steele after his arrest in Virginia on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The team announced Monday that it had parted ways with Steele and said it would not provide additional comment. On Tuesday, head coach Dan Quinn told reporters that offensive assistant Wes Welker, a former NFL wide receiver, will take over coaching the tight ends.

According to the report, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala said Steele was arrested June 7 in Loudoun County, Virginia. Yahoo also cited ESPN’s John Keim and court records in reporting that Steele faced an additional charge of obstruction or resisting an officer without force related to refusing a blood or breath test at the scene. The article said the Commanders placed Steele on leave after the arrest, informed the NFL and ultimately moved on from him for a reported team policy violation.

Steele, 48, had only recently joined Washington, being hired in February after three seasons coaching tight ends for the Arizona Cardinals under Jonathan Gannon. His coaching résumé also includes assistant roles with the Buccaneers, Falcons, Vikings and Broncos. Before coaching, Steele played in the NFL after entering the league as an undrafted player out of Mesa State, including regular-season time with the Green Bay Packers.

Welker had already been on the Commanders’ staff as a personnel analyst and offensive assistant. Yahoo reported, citing Jhabvala, that he handled tight ends during minicamp while Steele was away from the team. The change comes as Washington continues preparations under Quinn’s staff, making the tight ends job one of the first visible staff adjustments tied to an off-field matter during this period.