Dan Quinn’s Commanders Spiral: From Hope to Hard Questions in Washington
A year ago, Dan Quinn was riding high. In his first season as head coach of the Washington Commanders, the team looked like it had finally found some footing.
Quinn’s defense-first identity brought a sense of structure, and for a moment, it felt like Washington was turning a corner. Fast-forward to now, and that optimism has all but vanished.
The Commanders’ 31-0 loss to a struggling Minnesota Vikings team wasn’t just another defeat-it was a gut punch. It marked their eighth straight loss and might be the most lifeless performance of the season. For a team that once looked like it was building something, it now feels like the wheels have completely come off.
And that puts Quinn squarely in the crosshairs.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about wins and losses-though eight straight Ls will test the patience of any fanbase. This is about how those losses are happening.
Sunday’s blowout wasn’t competitive. It was flat.
It was uninspired. And it came just days after Quinn publicly declared that his team “wasn’t lost anymore.”
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Now, the questions are getting louder: Should Dan Quinn be back next season?
There’s no easy answer, but the temperature around Quinn’s seat is definitely rising. One of the more scrutinized decisions from Sunday came before the game even kicked off-Quinn’s call to keep quarterback Jayden Daniels on the sidelines, despite reports that he was ready to return from an elbow injury that had sidelined him for three games.
That decision raised eyebrows for a few reasons. Daniels had been cleared to play and had logged two full practices during the week.
He was pushing to return, and there was even chatter about whether it made sense to shut him down for the rest of the season to protect the franchise’s most valuable asset. But instead of suiting up, Daniels watched the offense sputter through another scoreless outing.
So what happened?
Was Quinn playing it safe with his rookie QB? Was there hesitation from the medical staff?
Or was this a case of a head coach under pressure trying not to make a bad situation worse? The fact that we’re asking these questions says a lot about where things stand in Washington.
Daniels is the future of this franchise. That much is clear.
And when your season is effectively over, the last thing you want is to risk a long-term injury to your cornerstone quarterback in meaningless December games. But when the offense is this ineffective, and your team is getting shut out by a 4-8 opponent, it’s hard not to wonder if holding him out was the right call.
The situation is eerily familiar for fans who followed Quinn’s tenure in Dallas. Whether as a head coach or coordinator, his approval tends to wane the longer he sticks around. Early success gives way to mounting frustration, and eventually, the questions about leadership and direction start to pile up.
That’s exactly where we are now.
It’s hard to believe that just a year ago, Quinn had this team in the NFC Championship Game. But in the NFL, things change fast.
Momentum is fragile. And when you lose eight straight, the goodwill you built up the season before doesn’t carry as much weight.
There are still four games left on the schedule, but the focus in Washington has already shifted to bigger-picture questions. Can Dan Quinn right the ship?
Can he get this locker room back on board? And most importantly-should he be the one leading this team into 2026?
Right now, those answers aren’t clear. But after Sunday’s shutout, the pressure is mounting. And if the Commanders can’t find a spark soon, Quinn’s time in Washington could be running out.