The Atlanta Falcons are making some notable additions to their coaching and advisory staff - and they’re dipping into Detroit’s past to do it.
Former Lions general manager Bob Quinn is headed to Atlanta to serve as a senior advisor to newly hired head coach Kevin Stefanski. Alongside him, former Lions wide receivers coach Robert Prince is also joining the Falcons, reprising the role he held in Detroit and several other stops since.
For Quinn, this move marks another chapter in a long NFL career that began with the New England Patriots, where he spent over 15 years rising through the ranks to become director of pro scouting. He was hired as Detroit’s GM in 2016 with the hope of replicating the Patriots’ organizational success - but the results were mixed at best.
Quinn’s tenure in Detroit started with promise. He inherited head coach Jim Caldwell and posted back-to-back winning seasons.
But in a move that still stings for some Lions fans, Quinn fired Caldwell and brought in Matt Patricia, then the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, to take over as head coach. That decision backfired.
Patricia’s abrasive style clashed with players and media alike, and the team spiraled through consecutive losing seasons. Both Quinn and Patricia were let go midway through the 2020 season.
Still, Quinn’s time in Detroit wasn’t without positives. He played a key role in building the Lions’ offensive line, selecting cornerstone pieces like center Frank Ragnow and tackle Taylor Decker.
But high-profile draft misses - including cornerback Jeff Okudah, taken third overall in 2020 - ultimately undercut the team’s progress. Adding fuel to the fire, it later came to light that Dan Campbell, now the Lions’ popular and successful head coach, had expressed interest in the job after Caldwell’s dismissal, making the Patricia era look like a missed opportunity in hindsight.
After his time in Detroit, Quinn landed in Cleveland, where he worked under Stefanski as a senior consultant. He was later promoted to a senior personnel and coaching executive role, which helps explain the connection that’s now brought him to Atlanta.
As for Robert Prince, his NFL journey has been steady and respected. He joined the Lions in 2014 as the wide receivers coach under Caldwell and stayed on through Patricia’s tenure.
Prince briefly stepped into the spotlight in 2020 when he served as acting head coach for one game during the COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined interim head coach Darrell Bevell and others on staff. That Week 16 game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a rough one - a 47-7 blowout that also saw Matthew Stafford exit early with an injury.
Since then, Prince has remained a sought-after WR coach. He spent a season with the Houston Texans, followed by three years with the Dallas Cowboys, and most recently was part of Mike McDaniel’s staff in Miami before McDaniel was let go earlier this offseason.
Now, both Quinn and Prince have a fresh opportunity in Atlanta, a franchise looking to reset under Stefanski. And for Lions fans keeping tabs on their former front office and coaching figures, there’s an added twist: Detroit is scheduled to face the Falcons on the road during the 2026 season as part of their NFC South rotation.
That matchup could be a compelling one - not just for the on-field action, but for the storylines simmering beneath the surface. Quinn and Prince are getting another shot in new roles, while Detroit continues to build on the foundation laid in the post-Patricia era. The reunion in Atlanta might not be circled in red ink just yet, but come fall, it could be one of those games that carries a little extra meaning.