New Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will look for a franchise quarterback this offseason. With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Washington is in an excellent position to land one of the draft’s top three quarterbacks entering the league.
When Quinn was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-20, he had his franchise quarterback Matt Ryan. Arguably the greatest success Ryan enjoyed over his outstanding 15-year career came when he played under Quinn.
These days, Ryan is an NFL analyst and is in Las Vegas for this weekend’s Super Bowl. With Quinn having recently been named as Washington’s coach, Ryan was asked about Quinn.
“Dan, Dan is an awesome coach and I love my time with him in Atlanta,” Ryan said. “I think they’re going to get somebody who has got great energy. Day in and day out, really good energy. One of his greatest strengths is building the right culture, and in my opinion, that is what’s needed in Washington. I think they’ll do an excellent job. I like the staff they’re starting to put together. They’ll be a team that’s going to play hard, and that’s kind of the hallmark of what he believes in. He knows how to motivate guys extremely well. I’m happy for Dan, and I really think he deserved another opportunity as a head coach and I think it’s a really great fit with Washington.”
Things may have ended badly for Quinn in Atlanta, but he maintains the respect of his former players, including his former quarterback.
Matt Ryan on what the Commanders are getting in Dan Quinn: pic.twitter.com/EDbW2NZnaB
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 6, 2024