Dan Quinn said Thursday that the Commanders players are now really working on their conditioning and stamina, preparing for the beginning of the 2024 Commanders Training Camp.
Quinn was a guest on the Scott Kaplan and Crew podcast on Thursday. When asked what he said to the team first, when he gathered them? Quinn said he told them, “Competition is going to be the driving theme… see how good you can get, how far you can take it.”
Quinn said he next expressed that connection must be built. He said he told the team what happens the next four months in how they connect will go a long way to their success. “If you don’t have the connection to really go bust your ass for the guy right next to you, there will probably be a ceiling about where you can get to.”
Asked about his previous NFL experiences with the Seahawks, Falcons, and Cowboys, Quinn replied, “It’s cool, man. You want to make sure you learn the lessons from previous experiences. You can then go apply them.”
Quinn likes being in the DMV. recalling how the Redskins were once a strong, powerful franchise in the league. He spoke of reconnecting with that franchise history.
“You learn when you have been coaching and then become a head coach; you are coaching everybody. You are making sure you are coaching the coaches…the best of the best make sure they connect with the entire team…In my case, I won’t call the plays, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have my fingerprints on the defense and certainly the attitude, the style we want to play.”
Quinn is now age 53 and has also been fired once as an NFL head coach (Falcons) before he last served as the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys (2021-23).
When asked about being given a second chance at 53, Quinn responded, “I am definitely shaving my goatee, and you guys are giving out my age.”
He continued, “One thing we know, from the ownership’s standpoint, in going to select a head coach, you want to make sure this guy has the chops to go win.”
Commanders fans are also hoping that Quinn has the chops to go win.