Commaders fire DL coach Sam Mills III

The Washington Commanders fired defensive line coach Sam Mills III on Tuesday.

He will be replaced by assistant defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina.

Head coach Ron Rivera said the decision to relieve Mills of his duties had been building over the offseason because of a difference in philosophy.

"It was something I just felt had to be done," Rivera said.

Mills, 44, was part of Rivera's staff with the Carolina Panthers, first as a defensive assistant and then as the defensive line coach. When Rivera took over as coach of the Washington franchise in 2020, Mills went with him.

Mills is the son of the late Sam Mills, who played with the Panthers and New Orleans Saints. The elder Mills was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame posthumously on Saturday.

Zgonina, 52, played in 219 games with seven teams over 17 NFL seasons (1993-2009) as a defensive tackle.