Commanders Hire Dan Quinn, Leaving Belichick And Others Out In The Cold

The Washington Commanders became the last team to fill their head coaching vacancy Thursday, reportedly hiring Dan Quinn to replace Ron Rivera. This likely means that former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will not find a new team for the 2024 season.

Quinn has been the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys since 2021 and was also the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020. Though Quinn led Atlanta to the Super Bowl in 2017, he has most recently been blamed for some of the Cowboys’ lack of playoff success. His defense was ill-prepared for the Packers in the Wild Card round last month, when Green Bay crushed Dallas in a 48-32 upset.

The Cowboys issued a statement that they would retain Quinn as their defensive coordinator unless he accepted a head coaching offer. It is unclear if Dallas has a candidate to immediately replace him, though there are multiple reports suggesting that passing-game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is the current front runner.

Quinn’s promotion in Washington concludes an extremely busy head coaching free agency period, in which eight teams appointed a new or permanent head coach. But now that all the positions are filled, several respected coaches appear to be left on the outside.

Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel was expected to find a landing spot but will not find one as a head coach. But while Vrabel can likely find a position as an assistant, his former mentor in New England is unlikely to take such an opportunity. Belichick, arguably the greatest head coach of all time, was considered by several teams but hired by none. For the first time in decades, his future in the NFL is unclear. He has had a job in the league every season since 1975.

It’s hard to imagine entering a job interview with a better resume, but the reasons for teams’ hesitancy to hire Belichick are also clear. The Patriots’ dynasty, during which Belichick won eight Super Bowls, ended several years ago when Tom Brady left for Tampa, and the team has struggled since. There have been rumors that Belichick was combative with Patriots ownership and could not find proper help to build an efficient offense.

With Quinn now in Washington and all vacancies filled, 30 head coaches will have the week and a half to eye their competition. Head coaches Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reid, as secure as possible on their respective teams, will face off in the Super Bowl. They live in a different stratosphere, far above this annual head coaching shuffle.