The Atlanta Falcons may be dealing with their own set of offseason questions, but at least they’re not in the middle of the coaching scramble that’s unfolding in Washington. Over in D.C., former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is deep into rebuilding his staff with the Commanders-and it’s already looking like an uphill battle.
Quinn, now 55, is trying to piece together a defensive unit that can compete, but the search for a defensive coordinator has hit a few roadblocks. The Commanders recently brought in former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon for an interview, a move that suggests Quinn’s options might be thinning out.
Now, let’s be clear-this isn’t just about Gannon being available. It’s about who isn’t available.
The Falcons have reportedly blocked interview requests for their current defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, and that’s a big deal. Ulbrich has deep ties to Quinn, having spent five seasons on his staff in Atlanta.
He was one of Quinn’s most trusted assistants, and when Quinn was let go in 2020, Ulbrich stepped into the role of interim defensive coordinator under interim head coach Raheem Morris.
Fast forward to now, and Ulbrich has rebuilt his reputation in a big way. In 2025, he helped the Falcons set a single-season franchise record in sacks and got impressive production out of a young, evolving defense.
After some regression under Jimmy Lake, Ulbrich helped modernize the unit and bring it back to relevance. That kind of turnaround doesn’t go unnoticed, and it’s no surprise that other teams-including Quinn’s Commanders-have interest.
But Falcons owner Arthur Blank seems determined to keep Ulbrich in Atlanta. Even as other assistants are being allowed to explore opportunities elsewhere, the Falcons are drawing a hard line when it comes to their defensive coordinator. Given the progress the defense made this past season, it’s hard to blame them.
That leaves Quinn searching elsewhere, and Gannon’s name has now entered the mix. On paper, Gannon’s résumé as a defensive coordinator is solid-his time with the Eagles featured some strong performances.
But his head coaching stint in Arizona didn’t exactly inspire confidence. The Cardinals finished near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency, ranking 26th in EPA per play and 27th in EPA per dropback.
That’s three straight seasons of bottom-tier defense under his watch.
Beyond the numbers, the locker room dynamics under Gannon raised eyebrows. The Cardinals ended the season on a nine-game losing streak, and reports suggested the team had checked out mentally and emotionally. That’s a stark contrast to the kind of player buy-in Quinn had during his best years in Atlanta-or what Morris managed to maintain during his interim run.
There was also the sideline incident with rookie running back Emari Demercado, where Gannon was caught on camera shoving the player. That moment, coupled with a reputation for being emotionally detached, hasn’t helped his case. Whatever success he had in Philadelphia feels distant now, especially when you consider that Washington’s interest in him may be more about necessity than belief.
At the end of the day, this looks like a case of Quinn trying to make the best of a tough situation. He likely had his eyes on Ulbrich from the start, but with the Falcons shutting that door, he’s forced to look elsewhere. Whether Gannon ends up being the answer remains to be seen-but if Quinn is betting on him to lead the defense, it’s a gamble that could define his second act in the nation's capital.