Monday was a hard day for Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. He’d never let on that he was bothered, but almost every NFL show in America, whether it was on ESPN, the NFL Network, or online, Quinn, specifically, Washington’s clock management at the end of Sunday’s game was the hot topic.
Talking heads, often trying to outdo one another with the most outlandish thing they could say, called for Quinn’s job on Monday. The Commanders, who had a chance to kick the game-winning field goal in overtime against the New York Giants, ran a play with the clock running, and quarterback Jayden Daniels took the sack instead of throwing the ball away or spiking it to stop the clock. Instead, time ran out, and the Commanders and Giants ended in a 27-27
tie.
After the game, Quinn took full responsibility for the clock mismanagement. Daniels did so to a lesser degree.
Regardless of who you want to blame, and there’s plenty of blame to go around for Quinn, Daniels and offensive coordinator David Blough, it’s irrelevant now. Washington must turn its attention to next Monday’s game against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers.
As for Quinn’s job status, despite calls from inconsequential media members and content creators to fire him, Washington is standing pat—for now.
According to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports, a “growing public consensus” believes the Commanders could make a change. However, per Maske, a source familiar with Washington didn’t believe any changes were imminent, but that “Quinn’s exit also seemed increasingly inevitable, perhaps a matter of when more so than if.”
That’s not surprising. Quinn entered this season on the hot seat after going 5-12 in 2025. What happened on Sunday is not a reason to fire him. Sorry, it’s not. You want a reason to fire Quinn? Check out his record. The Commanders are 3-13-1 in Quinn’s last 17 games as the head coach. Quinn, hired for his defensive prowess, no longer runs his own defense. That defense, by the way, has allowed 95 second-half points through five weeks, the most in the NFL.
While general manager Adam Peters will likely make the call, it’s ultimately up to owner Josh Harris. Harris, who bought the team in 2023, didn’t fire Ron Rivera that season until the season was over. Harris is an experienced owner, having owned the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils for years. He won’t fire a coach because some self-important hack can't moan about Washington's team name anymore.
At this point, a change appears inevitable. It felt inevitable before Sunday. However, don’t expect it to happen anytime soon. Also, don’t expect Commanders’ players to quit on Quinn, either.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What is Dan Quinn's immediate future with the Commanders?
