John Madden was one of the most successful coaches in NFL history before he transitioned to a career in the broadcast booth.
The Washington Commanders are hoping the elder Madden’s skillset will shine through in his progeny.
The Commanders hired Madden’s grandson, Jesse Madden, as an offensive quality control coach for the 2025 NFL season. The job will be the younger Madden’s first at the NFL level following his graduation from Michigan.
Madden, 21, attended Michigan and joined the football team as a walk-on in 2021. He began his career at quarterback before switching to defensive back and was a part of the Wolverines’ national championship team in 2024.
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Madden played sparingly for the Wolverines – he was credited with appearing in just one game for them, which came during the 2021 season – but he learned under both Jim Harbaugh and Mike Macdonald while with the team.
Harbaugh returned to the NFL in 2024, this time as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, while Macdonald took the reins of the Seattle Seahawks, his maiden voyage as head coach of an NFL franchise.
The elder Madden, a 2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, died in December 2021.
The younger Madden will hope to follow in their footsteps and those of his Super Bowl 11-winning grandfather as his coaching career begins.
