1 Down: Cowboys’ Dan Quinn won’t be Broncos’ HC, Aaron Rodgers’ coordinator will

Cowboys fans can’t exhale yet, but they can at least feel some joy as the NFL hiring cycle bypassed Dan Quinn for one round. Seven more to go. | From @KDDrummondNFL

For fans of the Dallas Cowboys, keeping an eye on the hirings made by the rest of the NFL has been a full-time job ever since the club was eliminated from the playoffs. It actually started before then with both offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn garnering interest from each of the teams who dismissed their 2021 leaders. Recently, defensive passing game coordinator Joe Whitt, Jr. has entered the conversation for moving on to another team and getting the defensive headset himself.

The biggest concern was once losing Moore, but the luster faded as the offense sputtered against tougher defenses as the year went on. Quinn’s unit kept pushing though, so much that it’s been assumed he’ll end up as a head coach somewhere. The likeliest landing spot had been considered to be with the Denver Broncos, but on Thursday morning the world learned that wouldn’t be happening as the AFC West cellar-dweller went in a different direction, hiring Green Bay OC Nathaniel Hackett.

Hackett doesn’t call plays in Green Bay, that’s head coach Matt Lafleur, but he’s been integral to their offense and also the last iteration of success in Jacksonville, guiding a Blake Bortles offense to the AFC championship game.

The Broncos’ decision thus helps the Cowboys in multiple ways. It’s still more likely than not that Quinn gets plucked by another team, with the Chicago Bears and his hometown New York Giants still having opening and heavy interest. However one of the big three has now gone in another direction, increasing the odds the Cowboys are able to retain the guy who transformed their defense in 2021.

Along with those two teams, the Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins have all interviewed Quinn. The Vikings and Bears have hired GMs in the last couple of days, following the Giants last week, meaning their coaching searches are set to ramp up. Quinn also turned down the Jacksonville Jaguars request to meet.

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