During his first season, Dan Quinn accomplished more than just about any head coach the Washington Commanders have had since Joe Gibbs. With his arrival coinciding with Jayden Daniels coming to the team, Quinn led the Commanders to a 12-5 record and playoff run to the NFC championship game a year ago.
But Quinn and the Commanders couldn’t repeat that success last season. Now, if his third year in Washington isn’t a lot better, Quinn might not be back for another year.
That’s what Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton argued when he placed the Commanders head coach on his list of NFL coaches facing make-or-break seasons in 2026.
“As a defensive-minded head coach, Quinn needs a better showing from a revamped unit, even though he doesn’t call plays. Washington signed Tim Settle, Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Leo Chenal and Nick Cross to bolster a unit that allowed the most yards and ranked 27th in scoring last season,” wrote Moton.
“Quinn’s choice of an offensive coordinator is directly linked to Daniels’ development. If the third-year signal-caller continues to regress after winning 2024 Rookie of the Year, the Commanders may dump Quinn and the entire coaching staff to find a new vision for their franchise player.”
Is Dan Quinn on the 2026 NFL Coaching Hot Seat?
Things change quickly in the NFL. Head coaches go from Coach of the Year candidate to fire candidate in a single offseason regularly.
That’s the case for Quinn with Washington this offseason, according to Moton.
Getting Daniels back healthy for 2026 is the biggest key for the Commanders bouncing back. But Moton argued Washington’s defense has to improve for Quinn to guarantee himself the 2027 campaign in the nation’s capital.
Last season, the Commanders were last in total defense and 27th in points allowed. They were ranked in the bottom five in both rushing and passing yards yielded too.
During the 2026 NFL Draft, Washington selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7 overall. Regarded as the top inside linebacker in the 2026 class, Styles should play a key role for Washington improving on defense.
The Commanders also added outside linebacker Joshua Josephs in the fifth round.
In Quinn’s first season, the Commanders were ranked 13th in total defense and 18th in points allowed.
Commanders New Defensive Coordinator Daronte Jones
After the subpar 2025 defensive season, the Commanders made a change at defensive coordinator. The team hired former Minnesota Vikings defensive assistant Daronte Jones to replace Joe Whitt Jr.
Jones served as the Vikings defensive backs coach in 2020 and from 2022-25. Last season, he also was the team’s pass game coordinator.
This season will be Jones’s first as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level. In 2021, he was the LSU Tigers DC.
Prior to that, he coached defensive backs with the Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.
Based on Moton’s assessment, Quinn has tied his future in Washington to how quickly Jones can improve the team’s defense during 2026.
Quinn, though, has never been afraid to inject himself into the defensive play-calling duties. He took over that role midway through the 2025 regular season for Washington. Quinn was also the acting defensive coordinator at times during his stint as Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2015-20.
It won’t be surprising, should Quinn feel his coaching seat getting warm this fall, if he becomes more involved with Jones on defense to help the unit.
Commanders’ Dan Quinn Gets Strong Warning Before 2026 NFL Campaign