There’s a bit of irony with the Washington Commanders hiring Dan Quinn as their new coach this offseason. Quinn is unique. He’s the only NFL coach you’ll see who wears his hats backward and owns a vast collection of Air Jordans.
One year ago, Washington players, at least offensive players, weren’t allowed to wear their hats backward, according to right guard Sam Cosmi.
“Last year, I was not allowed to wear my hat backwards [in the building],” Cosmi told Candace Buckner of The Washington Post in a story about Quinn.
“So that’s a little fun fact there. That was something that we as players, offensive side, we weren’t allowed to wear our hat backwards.”
Cosmi said he loved Quinn’s look and noted how his wife preferred for him to wear his hat backward, which he couldn’t do last season.
That rule came from Washington’s offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. When former head coach Ron Rivera hired Bieniemy, he gave him the assistant head coach title and more authority, leading to a more hands-off approach from Rivera.
How’d that rule work out? You can do those things when you are delivering as a coach or player, but when you aren’t thriving in your position and you have silly rules such as this, it only makes things more difficult in the locker room.
At the end of last season, it was clear Washington players weren’t fans of Bieniemy. Logan Thomas, Charles Leno Jr. and Cosmi were some of those players who displayed frustration and used restraint in discussing Bieniemy.
Remember how Washington players were accused of being soft when taking issue with Bieniemy? How many former players across the NFL and some in the media immediately took Bieniemy’s side and blamed the players? As it turns out, the players had every right to be unhappy with the coaching staff last season.
It’s a new day now. Every returning player, regardless of which side of the ball they play on, has embraced Quinn and his staff.
Quinn is not wearing his backward to make a point. He’s done this long before Bieniemy made it a rule in Washington for one season.
“I respect people’s individuality and things that mean something to them,” Quinn told The Post. “So whether it’s a hairstyle or no facial hair — like, all the rules that we’ve all heard throughout our life, I don’t necessarily see it that way. I like that people are unique and different.”
The Commanders report to training camp beginning on July 18, and, for once, most players aren’t dreading the beginning of training camp.