[ad_1]
A recent report suggested that the Washington Commanders could view former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott as an eventual replacement for current Washington head coach Dan Quinn.
For a mailbag published on Tuesday, Commanders insider Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic was asked what it would take for the club to possibly show Quinn the door during the 2026 season.
When Dan Quinn “will probably start to feel the heat”
“I think the Commanders’ playoff run in 2024 essentially bought Quinn this season to try to turn things around,” Jhabvala wrote. “Two bad years would’ve likely been the end of his run in Washington. If the team has a dreadful start to 2026 — and by dreadful, I mean more like 1-7 than 3-5 — Quinn will probably start to feel the heat. (A 3-5 start can be turned around in the second half of a season).”
Jhabvala was referencing how Quinn led the 2024 Commanders to a 12-5 record and a trip to that season’s NFC Championship Game. However, starting quarterback Jayden Daniels was then limited to just seven starts last season due to injury issues. Washington ultimately ended the campaign with a record of 5-12, and the club then parted ways with both of Quinn’s coordinators.
Why Dan Quinn will likely keep his job through the end of the 2026 season
History shows that an owner can decide before Thanksgiving arrives that firing a coach during a season can be an addition-by-subtraction move. That said, it sounds like the Commanders would have to be worse than bad for the team to fire Quinn before Week 18 wraps up.
“It’s costly to fire a head coach early because it usually means a mostly new staff will come in while a team is still paying any remaining contract years of the previous staff,” Jhabvala continued. “Two, it can disrupt the development of the team’s youngest players, especially the quarterback. And three, turning to an interim coach rarely has lasting benefits — for the coach or the team. There may be an initial spark, but rarely does the interim stay on full time in that role, and rarely does the team suddenly turn into a consistent winner.”
Jhabvala added that the Commanders could have “wholesale changes for 2027” if the club endures another “rough” season. In short, a playoffs-or-bust mandate may be hovering over Quinn heading into the 2026 season.
[ad_2]
Source link
