The Commanders are 1-3, and that record is already putting Dan Quinn under the kind of pressure that turns every Sunday into a referendum. If Washington does end up moving on from him, though, the next hire cannot be another familiar name just because it feels safe.
That’s where Mike Tomlin enters the conversation, and why he should make Washington pause.
Tomlin’s résumé is easy to sell. His reputation is enormous.
He spent years in Pittsburgh and built his name on never having a losing season. But the larger picture is harder to ignore: he has not won a playoff game since the Barack Obama administration, and the Steelers eventually decided it was time to go in another direction.
He is now on NBC as an analyst, where he is reportedly doing a good job, and when the 2027 head-coaching cycle opens, he figures to be the headline name for plenty of teams.
That doesn’t mean he is the right fit for Washington.
The Commanders have already tried this lane twice. Ron Rivera and Quinn were both coaches other teams had moved on from, and Washington viewed them as proven leaders who could change the tone in the building.
Both men got the team to the playoffs in their first season. Both brought some stability and helped clean up the mood around the franchise.
And both eventually ran into the same wall: the message faded, the results flattened out, and the fixes never seemed to arrive.
Tomlin would risk becoming the same story.
There’s also the bigger issue of what kind of coach Washington actually needs. Tomlin is defensive-minded, and that old-school formula of “just run fast and hit hard” doesn’t carry the same weight anymore. The league keeps tilting toward offensive thinkers, and the Commanders need one of those if Quinn is no longer the answer.
That could mean looking for a young offensive mind somewhere else in the league. It might even mean looking inside the building. David Blough has shown promise through four weeks, but he would have to keep building on that before anyone could seriously call him a head-coaching candidate.
If he isn’t the guy, Washington needs to be shopping among the league’s better offensive coordinators, not reaching for another retread.
Quinn still has a path to save his job for at least another year, especially with a healthy Jayden Daniels set to return this weekend against the New York Giants. But if the Commanders do end up making a change after the 2026 season, they can’t do it just to say they did. And they definitely can’t talk themselves into another version of the same mistake.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Gives Commanders Hope With One Huge Question Still Lingering
Jayden Daniels was back on the practice field Wednesday and went through a full session after missing two games, a welcome development for a Commanders team that has been trying to navigate life without its rookie quarterback. Washington expects him to play against the New York Giants, and he is doing so with a brace on his elbow, a reminder that even his return comes with a degree of caution.
The bigger concern is what comes after this week. The Commanders still have not signed another quarterback, leaving Daniels as the clear centerpiece of the offense for now, even as there is lingering uncertainty about whether his elbow will need surgery after the season. For a team trying to stay competitive, getting him back matters, but so does whatever happens next with an injury that could follow him well beyond Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Return Wont End This Commanders Problem
Jayden Daniels is set to return after missing two games with an elbow injury, which is obviously a lift for Washington as it tries to steady an offense that has been juggling injuries at a few spots. His presence alone changes the conversation at quarterback, and the Commanders are counting on that to help restore some rhythm after a stretch without him.
The wider issue, though, may still be at receiver, where Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs both missed practice with hamstring injuries. McLaurin has already sat out a recent game, and if both wideouts remain limited, Antonio Williams could keep seeing the heavier workload and targets that have made him a more important part of the passing game than anyone expected at this point. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Return Comes With One Big Concern For Commanders Fans
Jayden Daniels is on track to return Sunday against the Giants after missing time with a left elbow injury, giving Washington the kind of lift it badly wanted as it gets back into a regular rhythm. He was a full participant in practice, a strong sign that the Commanders are moving toward getting their quarterback back on the field after a frustrating stretch on the sideline.
The lingering issue is not whether Daniels is close, but how he will feel once the game speed picks back up. Washington is still watching his recovery carefully to make sure he can function comfortably, and the team has not been shy about treating this as a step-by-step process. Dan Quinn said Daniels is expected to start if there are no setbacks, leaving the final bit of confirmation to the weekend itself. [Read more 🡒]