Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is beloved by his players. Whether it was during his time as a position coach, defensive coordinator, or now in his second tenure as an NFL head coach, Quinn is loved and respected across the NFL.
There’s a reason why you hear other prominent players on rival teams express their love and respect for Quinn, such as Micah Parsons. Most recently, Quinn has taken a special interest in Washington’s first-round pick, linebacker Sonny Styles. During training camp, Quinn referenced a conversation he had with Styles about making mistakes.
“We’re chasing hard to have absolute elite execution,” Quinn said last month. “I also recognize there are gonna be mistakes, and I want them to happen when you’re working right
on the edge of something; you’re going to make them. I encouraged Sonny just the other day: make them. I want you to test yourself to see: Can I go to that space to get the ball? Can I be in that location? Can I go take my shot? I want them right on the edge, knowing that mistakes are part of it, and then when they happen, that they don’t get repeated. And so, that’s the execution piece."
Great advice from Quinn to a talented young player adjusting to life in the NFL who may be afraid of making mistakes.
Styles recently shared some notable advice that Quinn gave him.
“Actually had a conversation with him one day, probably in the middle of the OTAs, and he had me do an exercise of basically just talking about anything you’re worried about, whether it be he kind of brought up different examples- expectations of trying to be a leader, or anything like that,” Styles told DJ Siddiqi of the Action Network. “Just let all that go, just drop it, just let that weight off your shoulders, and just play football.”
Quinn once gave similar advice to quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“He told me he kind of had similar conversations with Jayden, but like there’s no crazy — you don’t have to be some different person or try and fit this mold of what someone says you should be. He said I was brought here for a reason. He’s confident in what I can do. If you have anything that you’re worried about, just let it all go. It wasn’t like I was doing anything wrong or anything bad was going on. I think he understands you get drafted as a first-round pick — regardless of one through 32 — you’re the first pick for a team.”
Every player is different, and Quinn understands that. That’s what makes him a special communicator. Quinn is taking on a different approach this year. He moved on from both offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. this offseason. He promoted David Blough to replace Kingsbury and has been instrumental in his development.
As for Jones, Quinn stepped out of his comfort zone to hire the former Vikings defensive backs coach. Instead of running Quinn’s defensive scheme as Whitt did, Jones will run a defensive scheme similar to what Brian Flores runs in Minnesota. You have to give it to Quinn. Putting his ego aside to hire a coach from outside of his coaching tree, knowing his job could be on the line.
Ultimately, it may benefit everyone, as it lets Quinn take a more hands-on approach with his players, like Styles.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Sonny Styles reveals some advice he received from Dan Quinn
