The domino was Steve Wilks.
If Carolina’s coordinator in 2017 landed a head coaching job, he'd likely try to pry Washington away. Washington's other option was to stay in Carolina to fill Wilks’ role if/when he left.
“I was fortunate to be in that position,” Washington said Monday, a week after he was officially named Wilks’ replacement. “It's great to have options when you're a coach.
“When Ron Rivera, who brought me into this organization, expresses a level of confidence in you in terms of moving into a role with more responsibility, you have to take a look at that.