After the Washington Commanders ended their 2025 season the way they did, chatter about Dan Quinn being on the hot seat began. Then they fired their offensive and defensive coordinators and brought in new ones, and Adam Peters added new faces to bolster the roster. However, questions about the offensive line and less-than-great preseason performances did not inspire confidence in what the 2026 season would hold.

Before the Commanders’ Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles named Quinn as one of five coaches on the hot seat in 2026.

2025 record: 5-12, no postseasonCareer record: 60-59 overall, 3 playoff berths | With Commanders: 17-17, 1 playoff berthAfter leading Washington to a 12-5 record and its first NFC Championship game in 30+ years in 2024, Quinn went 5-12 last year. Injuries were a major factor, but Quinn admitted the standard slipped, too.

Quinn inherited a rough situation (really rough, in fact), and the roster still has significant holes in terms of top-end talent and depth. Laremy Tunsil’s torn triceps didn’t help. The 2026 season features a brutal start of at the Eagles, at the Cowboys and against the Seahawks, and if Washington starts slowly, the heat will really turn up on Quinn.

On one hand, Josh Harris has a history of being patient. As 76ers owner, he oversaw “The Process.” On the other hand, the Commanders have failed to put a quality enough product around Jayden Daniels. Quinn is betting big on offensive coordinator David Blough and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones — both first-time play callers — to elevate their respective units. It could be argued that a bounce-back year, even if it doesn’t result in a playoff berth, would be enough for him to stay another year. But even that is no certainty.

Even though the Commanders fell to the Eagles, we still saw improvement, especially at the end of the game. Where their timing had been off, communication seemed to break down, and getting down the field was a problem in the first half; much of that was remedied by the end of the game. The problems that remain for the Commanders are all fixable problems. If the coaching staff can focus on those and help players correct their mental mistakes, the Commanders have a great chance to beat Dallas on Sunday.

Advertisement

That said, the Commanders’ 2026 schedule is unforgiving. They open with two divisional road games before hosting the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. They get a slight reprieve against the Indianapolis Colts, then face the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers before their bye week. After the bye, they face the Eagles (again), Los Angeles Rams (should have Myles Garrett back by then), Giants (again), and Cincinnati Bengals. Their first 10 games of the season will certainly not be easy.

If the Commanders can’t win at least half of those games, then Quinn’s seat will become even hotter. But if Quinn and his coaching staff can get this team some tough wins, they’ll see a confidence boost across the roster, and Quinn can breathe a little easier.

As Pereles said, the Commanders don’t necessarily have to make the playoffs for Quinn to keep his job. It would certainly go a long way toward that effort, but it’s probably not a requirement. Having a winning season with visible player improvement will likely be enough, but making the playoffs would ensure Quinn’s retention.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders’ Dan Quinn is named one of 5 NFL coaches on the hot seat