Is Commanders coach Dan Quinn on the hot seat in 2026?

[ASFN Admin]

When the Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn to take over head coaching duties, it was at the same time that Adam Peters was hired as general manager. In their first season together, they drafted Jayden Daniels, who helped lead the team to its first NFC Championship game in over 30 years. That success was short-lived, however, with the team winning just five games in 2025.

The reasoning doesn't matter; the fact that the Commanders fell hard in 2025 puts a strain on the hold that both Quinn has on his job. In a recent Bleacher Report article, their take on Dan Quinn is that his seat is warming up and might very well be hot.

In 2024, Dan Quinn had a strong first year with the Washington Commanders. They advanced to the NFC Championship Game with then-rookie Jayden Daniels. Well ahead of schedule in a rebuild, the Commanders exceeded expectations.

Last season, Washington regressed with an aging roster. Critics also questioned Quinn's decision to leave Daniels on the field in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which he dislocated his left elbow.

Daniels missed 10 games due to injuries, but Washington had other offensive issues. Quinn and play-caller Kliff Kingsbury had different perspectives for that side of the ball and parted ways. The Commanders hired David Blough to fill that vacancy.

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.

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.

Hot Seat Meter: 7

What the author says is valid. On paper. However, the reality is that football isn't played on paper, and organizational management tends to understand that coaches can be hampered by the loss of any leader on the team. It didn't have to be Jayden Daniels; the season started with bad blood between the team and wide receiver Terry McLaurin over his contract. That had nothing to do with Quinn, but McLaurin's missing summer activities directly impacted his ability to stay healthy.

On top of that, there were many injuries on the defensive side of the ball, including to newer faces that never really got to show what they could do. So, if Bleacher Report wants to say that Quinn's seat is warming up, sure, we can get behind that. But hot? Not really.

Quinn, understanding that the 2025 season was not up to standard, made a bold move, replacing both offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Replacing Whitt was understandable, but Kingsbury was integral to the Commanders' 2024 success. If these moves work out, Quinn looks like a genius. If they don't, well, then we could revisit this conversation.

If the Commanders don't improve at all in 2026 and everyone stays healthy, he will definitely be on the hot seat, and that will be a different conversation. But, as it stands today, Quinn's seat isn't really hot, simply temperate.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Is Dan Quinn on the hot seat?

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