Commanders finally made a decision that should’ve been made weeks ago — and Dan Quinn’s future depends on how he responds
The Commanders have officially fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr, and Dan Quinn has to get this next hire right, or he won’t stay in Washington much longer.
The 2025 season is officially over for the Washington Commanders, and a critical offseason is underway for general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.
This is a make-or-break offseason on many levels after the wake-up call the team received this season. Peters and Quinn have to make real changes this offseason for the team to improve, and they have made their first notable change, which should’ve happened weeks ago.
In addition to parting ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders have announced that defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has officially been fired. Quinn’s next moves will either save his job or be the final straw.
The Commanders finally fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr
The Commanders’ defense has been historically bad this season, but it took the defense hitting rock bottom with four consecutive losses by 21 points or more for Quinn to make a change. Despite saying he was taking over as the defensive coordinator and all that entails, all he did was take over play calling while Whitt Jr. remained the defensive coordinator in the press box. Quinn finally did what he should’ve done in the first place, and officially fired Whitt Jr. as the offseason begins.
The Commanders have to fix the defense this offseason
Having a defensive-minded head coach with one of the worst defenses in the league isn’t a good look, and there were no more scapegoats at the end of the season. The defense never got much better except against the worst offenses on the schedule, and it’s time for a real change now.
The Commanders end the season ranked at the bottom of every main category on defense, and the offseason should be spent revamping everything on that side of the ball.
| Defensive Ranks | Yards Allowed Per Game | Points Allowed Per Game | Takeaways | Turnover Differential |
| Commanders 2025 | 384.0 (32nd) | 26.5 (27th) | 10 (31st) | -13 (31st) |
Who will Dan Quinn hire?
The biggest question now is who Quinn trusts and hires to save his defense. Will he go the route that he usually takes and hire someone he has a connection with, like Raheem Morris, who was just fired from the Atlanta Falcons, or Al Harris from the Chicago Bears? This is probably the most likely route, but this coaching cycle has many more defensive-minded coaches than offensive-minded options, and an outside hire might be a breath of fresh air that the Commanders need.
The top outside hires that come to mind are Jim Leaonhard from the Denver Broncos, Karl Scott from the Seattle Seahawks, and Dino Vasso from the Houston Texans. The Browns also fired Kevin Stefanski, so Jim Schwartz may be available, unless Stefanski brings him with him if he gets another head coaching job.
Whoever Quinn hires has to be the right guy, and it will truly save his job in Washington, or be the final straw next season. There’s no more room for error, and no more excuses left to use. Figure it out, get to work, and hit free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft with a plan on how to correct the defense.
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