This summer, the Dallas Cowboys discovered that they were in need of a defensive coordinator quite late in the hiring process. Dan Quinn left to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders after being assured he would return to Dallas.
Not only did he lessen the possibilities for his previous team (temporarily at least, Mike Zimmer was a highly regarded hiring), but he also made a move that will probably make him a better head coach than Ron Rivera, the former Commanders head coach. If he is successful, he could displace Dallas from the “automatic” victories as he narrows the gap between the best and worst teams in the NFC East.
But in the NFL, that’s just how things are; there’s not much hate involved. There aren’t enough jobs to go around to pick and choose the ones that won’t damage your pals. Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore might become a Commander by the end of the month, while New York Giants running back Saquan Barkley might find himself elsewhere in the NFC East.
Quinn and his old squad don’t exactly have a bad relationship as a result.
In an episode of “Pardon My Take,” Quinn went into detail about the relationships he developed while he was in Dallas, how significant they were to him, and how it affected his decision to leave.
Quinn claimed, “I texted them before I took the job, so that’s why I left.” Just wanted to add, man, that you guys are mostly to blame for my employment success. I wanted to make sure that I expressed my gratitude to them since, in their absence, I never would have had the opportunity to be where I am now.