Shocking NFL news all but confirms Dan Quinn will leave Cowboys

It's long been feared that 2023 would be Dan Quinn's last season as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator. Quinn took three head coach interviews last offseason, but surprisingly decided to return to his post as Cowboys DC.

After guiding Dallas' defense to another robust season, Quinn is once again a hot commodity during the coaching carousel. As of this writing, three teams have requested to interview Quinn for their head coach vacancies, including the Chargers, Panthers and the rival Commanders.

While the Chargers are a reasonably attractive job, it's always felt like Quinn would only leave the Cowboys for the perfect opportunity.

Well, that opportunity is suddenly available now that Pete Carroll is no longer the head coach of the Seahawks. Multiple NFL insiders immediately pointed to Quinn as a strong candidate to succeed Carroll in Seattle.

Cowboys' Dan Quinn viewed as top candidate to replace Pete Carroll as Seahawks head coach.

This all but confirms Quinn will leave the Cowboys. After all, Quinn became a household name in NFL circles in Seattle, where he coordinated the famed "Legion of Boom" to two Super Bowl appearances, including a title in 2013, in just two seasons on the job. Quinn was hired as the Falcons head coach after the 2014 season.

Quinn actually broke into the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2001 as a defensive quality control coach before he was promoted to defensive line coach in 2004. From there, Quinn served as the DL coach for the Dolphins and Jets before he made a lateral move to coach the Seahawks defensive front in 2009.

Quinn then left Seattle to become Florida's defensive coordinator, but he swiftly returned to the Seahawks in 2013 to become their defensive coordinator. The rest is history.

Who better to succeed Carroll than Quinn? His career took off with the Seahawks and there's already an established trust with general manager John Schneider, who was hired a year after Quinn was named DL coach in 2010. Not to mention, he'd get to work with Carroll again, too, as Carroll's expected to remain with Seattle as a team adviser.

If this is it for Quinn in Dallas, he'll leave having morphed the Cowboys defense into one of the league's best in three years. He upgraded the personnel and emphasized positions that were neglected before his arrival. In 2023, Quinn produced another top-10 defense in terms of points and yards allowed per game.

This has always felt like the job Quinn was waiting for. Now that it's available, it's hard to see it not coming to fruition.

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