The Washington Commanders fell 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night to drop to 1-4-1 on the season.
They’re now set to enter their bye week, but conversations about head coach Dan Quinn’s job security have continued to rumble.
However, if Monday night’s game showed anything, it’s that Quinn hasn’t lost the locker room. His players are still going to bat for him, which goes a long way when discussing whether to fire a coach midseason, especially since Commanders owner Josh Harris isn’t fond of making midseason coaching changes unless absolutely necessary.
Quinn’s Job Security Gets Major Update
On Wednesday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport discussed the situation in Washington and revealed that Quinn’s job is safe for now. However, wins will have to start coming if he wants any chance of keeping his job beyond this year.
“The team continues finding clear that they did not lose the locker room,” Rapoport said. “Josh Harris does not like firing a coach midseason. It seems like based on this effort shown on the field, Dan Quinn is going to stick around for the foreseeable future. The long-term future, still a question.”
From The Insiders on @nflnetwork: #Commanders coach Dan Quinn bought more time to turn the season around thanks to his team’s play in San Francisco. But some wins do have to come. https://t.co/R4f9BIHesg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2026
Looking at the Commanders
Washington may sit three games below .500, but the rest of the NFC East gives the team some reason for optimism.
The New York Giants lead the division at 3-2-1, while the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are both 2-4 and face each other this week.
It’s the first division in NFL history in which all four teams have gone winless in back-to-back weeks. The Commanders played the Giants last week, with the matchup ending in a brutal 27-27 tie.
As a result, Washington sits just 1.5 games out of first place despite its poor play through the first six weeks of the NFL season.
Could the Commanders Make a Move?
One of the biggest questions Washington must answer is whether to buy or sell before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the Commanders could try to go all in with the division still wide open.
“I’m curious to see whether Washington dips back into the wide receiver market in the wake of Terry McLaurin’s injury,” Graziano reported Wednesday. “The Commanders are 1-4-1, which might make them seem ready to unload talent. But they’re only two games out of first place, and it feels like jobs might be on the line in Washington, so they might decide they need to go for it.”
Dan Quinn’s Future With Commanders Gets Major Update After 49ers Loss