The Washington Commanders are 2-4-1 heading into their Week 9 game against the Los Angeles Rams. A loss by the Commanders would make head coach Dan Quinn’s hot seat even hotter than it already is.
Despite being under .500, the NFC East remains wide open, with the New York Giants sitting at the top at 4-2-1. As a result, if the Commanders can’t turn around their situation to win a mediocre division, then that could be it for Quinn.
One potential name in the speculation conversation about who could replace Quinn if Washington fires him is former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Nonetheless, Steelers’ Cam Heyward doesn’t see Tomlin returning and staying in the media.
“He’s not coming back,” Heyward said during a Nov. 3 appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “He’s way too comfortable. He told me as soon as he walked in, ‘I win every week now,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I get that. I get that.’ I’m not going to fight against that because that’s a pretty sweet job he’s got going on over there.”
Commanders Would Make Sense for Mike Tomlin
As for where the speculation regarding the Commanders emerged, it was due to a take from former NFL QB and WFAN host Boomer Esiason, who floated Tomlin’s name as a potential replacement for Quinn.
“I’m going to tell you something right now, and you heard it here first,” Esiason said in an Oct. 24 video from 106.7 The Fan. “Washington Commanders offer Mike Tomlin $100 million for five years next year. They would need the perfect coach. Look, I’m not advocating for Dan Quinn [to lose his job as head coach]. I like Dan Quinn. I think he’s a really good football coach, but these last two games show me that maybe he’s a little bit checked out from this.
“From the standpoint of a head coach, he’s got to know every scenario, and he’s got to be able to communicate it to every single player. That has not been the case the last two weeks. Mike Tomlin would be an immediate upgrade and would probably get Washington Commanders fans really excited about next year.”
Mike Tomlin Might Not Want to Leave NBC Sports Gig
Heyward also noted that while Tomlin has that itch to coach, the veteran defensive tackle states that the media job that he currently has might be too much to pass up.
“It’s not out of his system because I’m still receiving a lot of texts in our group chats,” Heyward added. “I know he still cares deeply, but I don’t know if you can get him out of this situation he’s got going on right now. It’s going to be pretty tough.”
It will be interesting to see how the Commanders finish the season and whether that’s enough for Quinn to save his job.
However, if Washington decides to go in a different direction this upcoming offseason, the Commanders might have to put together an offer big enough for Tomlin to leave NBC and see if he can turn the situation around in Washington, where he’d have a franchise QB and a looming new stadium.
Mike Tomlin Coaching Take Emerges Amid Commanders Speculation