It’s been a wild ride for Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn over the past 12 months. After a blowout playoff loss to the Packers last January, Quinn, then the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, interviewed with multiple teams in his quest to become a head coach again.
A few weeks later, Washington hired Quinn. Quinn quickly assembled an excellent coaching staff led by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Things couldn’t have gone much better for the Commanders. They won 12 games, the most since 1991, two road playoff games, and appeared in their first NFC championship in 33 years.
Unfortunately, the dream season ended Sunday when Washington fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 55-23 in the NFC title game. It was a disappointing ending after such a terrific year.
After the loss, Quinn spoke to the media and revealed what he told his team in the locker room.
“What I told the players, I really wanted them to savor this time in the locker room with their teammates,” Quinn said. “The locker room is never the same year-to-year, and they’ve really created something very unique and very special……I wanted them to recognize the brotherhood they created together.”
Dan Quinn shares what he told the #Commanders after the loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/a9CnROo1HB
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) January 27, 2025
Brotherhood is something Quinn talked about all year. The players bought in entirely and many sounded like Quinn when discussing the team.
Quinn also spoke with Tom Rinaldi of FOX Sports, echoing a similar message.
“To be on this journey with these guys and to see the connection that they’ve built. There’s a lot of lessons that we’re going to take from this year that we’ll use for years to come.”
In a Digital Exclusive, Tom Rinaldi spoke with @Commanders HC Dan Quinn after the NFC… pic.twitter.com/lN0Ml05FUB
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 27, 2025
Despite Sunday’s result, the future is bright in Washington.