For Dan Quinn, it changed expectations in Washington almost overnight.
The Commanders were one of football’s biggest stories in 2024. Washington finished 12-5, won the NFC East, and rode rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels all the way to the NFC Championship Game. A franchise that had spent years searching for relevance suddenly looked like one of the league’s fastest-rising contenders. Quinn was praised for changing the culture, Daniels looked like a superstar, and the future couldn’t have appeared much brighter.
Expectations in Washington Changed After 2025
Then came 2025.
Instead of building on that momentum, Washington stumbled to a 5-12 finish. While there were certainly injuries to account for, it wasn’t enough to overcome what was an ultimately disappointing season. What looked like a team in a position to battle with the best in the NFC a year prior looked lost and inconsistent on both sides of the ball, and what was once a promising atmosphere quickly began turning into doubt.
That’s why expectations in Washington feel so complicated entering 2026.
The 2024 season proved what this team is capable of when everything comes together. The 2025 season served as a reminder of how quickly things can unravel in the NFL. Somewhere between those two extremes is probably the real version of the Commanders, but Quinn now has to prove which season was the exception.
That doesn’t automatically put him on the hot seat. Far from it.
Owners don’t usually move on from head coaches who delivered one of the best seasons the franchise has enjoyed in decades after one disappointing year. Quinn deserves credit for restoring credibility to Washington, changing the culture inside the building, and helping develop what appears to be a franchise quarterback. Those accomplishments still mean a lot, not only to the Commanders’ ownership but to its entire fanbase.
At the same time, nobody inside the organization is celebrating moral victories anymore.
That’s because expectations in Washington have changed. Quinn raised them himself.
Washington Is No Longer a Team That Is Rebuilding
Washington is no longer seen as a team in rebuild mode. While the Philadelphia Eagles are the favorite to win the NFC East, there is nothing stopping the Commanders from making the playoffs and going on another run. Fans and ownership are not expecting a perfect season. And while winning the NFC East again would be great, that does not even need to be the ultimate goal. Finishing 2026 as a competitive team that found its way into the playoffs would be a great start.
There’s a big difference between coaching under pressure and coaching for your job.
Right now, Quinn falls into the first category.
If Washington rebounds in 2026, the talk of Quinn being on the hot seat probably disappears before Thanksgiving. If the Commanders stumble through another five- or six-win season, however, the questions surrounding Quinn and whether or not he should be at the helm in Washington will likely begin to dominate headlines in the local media. NFL coaches rarely get judged by what they accomplished two years ago. They’re judged by what they’re doing now. Unfortunately for head coaches in the NFL, this is very much a “what have you done for lately?” type of business.
But if Quinn can pull off an incredible rebound season, expectations in Washington will change for the better.
An Important Season Lies Ahead in 2026
The 2026 season feels so significant because expectations in Washington have changed.
Not because Quinn needs to secure his employment, but because he has to prove that the magic that was 2024 wasn’t the climax of his run as the Commanders head coach, but rather its foundation. Washington under his watch has now seen both ends of the spectrum, and now it remains to be determined which direction will ultimately endure.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
