Matt Johnson
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn delivered immediate success in his first season, reaching the NFC Championship Game after posting a 12-5 record. Now coming off a five-win season, there are lingering questions around the NFL regarding Quinn’s job security.
NFL executives speaking to Jason La Canfora said that they believe Quinn is on the hot seat with the Commanders despite the success he had in his first season with quarterback Jayden Daniels. Part of the issues seems to be a reported “rift” with general manager Adam Peters.
While Quinn was very successful in his first season, the team’s dip in performance the following year matches with trends in his career. With the Atlanta Falcons, he won the NFC Championship Game after posting an 11-5 record in 2016, and the team reached the playoffs with a 10-6 record the following year. However, Atlanta then went 14-23 the rest of the way, and he was fired midway through the 2020 campaign.
There have also been signals this offseason that suggest Quinn isn’t on the firmest ground job-security-wise. The Commanders’ coaching staff was largely cleaned out in January, with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., and several assistants let go. Typically in the NFL, sweeping changes to the coaching staff are done by a head coach who is either pushed to do so by the front office or does so fearing for his job security the following season.
It also doesn’t help Quinn’s situation that the Commanders’ defense has largely underperformed during his tenure. Hired after a successful stint as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Quinn’s defense ranked 32nd in yardage allowed this past season, and it ranked 20th in takeaways in his first year. In both seasons, Washington has largely had a below-average defense.
If the Commanders can’t rebound this fall, even with a healthy Jayden Daniels, it’s certainly not out of the question that seven or fewer wins could result in Quinn being fired for the second time as a head coach. Considering that Washington has a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract with a well-regarded general manager, this would be one of the most coveted jobs potentially available in 2027.
