The Washington Commanders have reached an agreement with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to become their new head coach, multiple outlets reported Thursday.
Quinn will get a second opportunity to run a team after previously serving six seasons as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach from 2015-20. He led the Falcons to a Super Bowl in his second season in charge in 2016, but was fired after an 0-5 start in 2020 that followed up two consecutive losing campaigns.
The 53-year-old takes over for another coach who previously guided a team to a Super Bowl in Ron Rivera, who was let go at the conclusion of this past season after Washington struggled to a 4-13 record. Rivera was the head coach during the Carolina Panthers' NFC championship season of 2015.
Quinn becomes the latest addition to a franchise that has undergone a slew of changes in the past year, beginning with long-time owner Daniel Snyder selling the team to an investment group headed by Josh Harris, the managing partner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's New Jersey Devils, in July.
The Commanders also have a new general manager in place after hiring Adam Peters from the San Francisco 49ers' front office in January.
Quinn gets to stay in the NFC's East Division after restoring his head coaching credentials with a successful stint orchestrating a defence that helped Dallas reach the playoffs in all three of his seasons there. The Cowboys ranked fifth in the NFL in both points and total yards allowed in 2023, while their 93 takeaways during Quinn's tenure are the most in the league over that three-year stretch.
The veteran assistant also had an excellent run as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator from 2013-14, helping that team win a Super Bowl in the first of those seasons.
Quinn compiled a 43-42 overall record in Atlanta and led the Falcons to two play-off appearances, the first of which nearly culminated in the franchise's first NFL title. In one of the most memorable games in recent NFL history, Atlanta infamously blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead in Super Bowl LI as the New England Patriots rallied for a stunning 34-28 overtime win.
He now joins a franchise that has gone 18 consecutive seasons since its last play-off victory in 2005, the third-longest active streak in the NFL, and has reached the post-season only once in the past eight seasons.
Despite that recent lack of success, the Commanders' vacancy was considered an attractive job due to the team's newfound stability in ownership and the front office and a wealth of available salary cap space to work with this offseason.
Washington also owns the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and is in position to select one of the three quarterbacks viewed as potential franchise players, Heisman Trophy winners Caleb Williams (USC) and Jayden Daniels (LSU) and North Carolina's Drake Maye.
Dolphins WR Waddle gets $84.75M extension
Jaylen Waddle has become the latest star wide receiver to receive a big new contract this offseason, as the Miami Dolphins standout has agreed to a three-year, $84.75 million extension according to multiple reports.
NFL.com reported Thursday that Waddle will receive a minimum of $76 million on his new deal, which begins in 2026 and will run through the 2028 season. That amount is the third-largest sum of guaranteed money to a wide receiver in league history, trailing only Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown's $84 million and Detroit Lions playmaker Amon-Ra St. Brown's $77 million.
The $28.25 average annual value of Waddle's extension is the fourth-highest among wide receivers behind Brown ($32 million), St. Brown and Dolphins teammate Tyreek Hill (both $30 million).
Both Brown and St. Brown signed their extensions this offseason as well. Three other receivers, Philadephia's DeVonta Smith ($75 million), Nico Collins of the Houston Texans ($72.75 million) and Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts ($70 million), recently agreed to new three-year deals.
Taken by Miami with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Waddle is one of only five players in NFL history to begin his career with three consecutive seasons with at least 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. That list includes another current Dolphins player in Odell Beckham Jr., who did so with the New York Giants from 2014-16, as well as Michael Thomas (four straight from 2016-19), Justin Jefferson (2020-22) and Ja'Marr Chase (2021-23).
Waddle set an NFL rookie record with 104 receptions in 2021, a mark that was surpassed this past season by the Los Angeles' Rams Puka Nacua (105). In 47 career regular-season games, the 25-year-old has compiled 251 catches for 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The former University of Alabama star was a key part of a Miami offence that led the NFL with 4,514 net passing yards in 2023, with Waddle contributing 1,014 yards and four touchdowns on 72 receptions in 14 games.
Waddle has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract after the Dolphins exercised his fifth-year option in April.
NFL wide receiver Collins agrees to $72M extension with Texans
Wide receiver Nico Collins took a major step forward last season with C.J. Stroud.
The Houston Texans rewarded him for his production.
The Texans and Collins agreed to a three-year extension worth $72.5million on Tuesday.
The deal, which was reported by NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, includes $52million guaranteed, and holds a maximum value of $75million.
Collins, who was entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, is coming off his best season in the NFL, leading the Texans with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards with eight touchdowns.
In three pro seasons, he has 150 catches for 2,224 yards and 11 TDs.
Teamed with the rookie Stroud at quarterback in 2023, the Texans emerged as having one of the top passing offences in the NFL.
Houston surprisingly won the AFC South and reached the divisional round - the franchise's first trip to the play-offs since 2019.
The Texans will enter this season with lofty expectations after adding another star wide receiver in Stefon Diggs to a roster that already includes Tank Dell.
NFL reveals full 2024 schedule
The entire 2024 NFL schedule is now set.
While all the matchups have been known since the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, and some games were revealed in the last few days, the league released the remainder of the schedule on Wednesday.
The latest schedule update included the American Thanksgiving triple-header featuring the Chicago Bears visiting the Detroit Lions, followed by the New York Giants at the Dallas Cowboys and wrapping up with the Miami Dolphins travelling to Green Bay to face the Packers.
The following day on Black Friday, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Las Vegas Raiders.
Earlier in the day, the NFL announced the five international games and the Christmas Day doubleheader.
Christmas, which falls on a Wednesday, will see the Chiefs visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by the Houston Texans hosting the Baltimore Ravens.
On Boxing Day, the Chicago Bears will host the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.
The Chiefs and Ravens will kick off the season in Kansas City on September 5 in a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game.
The following night, the NFL will play its first game in South America with the Philadelphia Eagles and Packers squaring off in São Paulo, Brazil.
The first Sunday Night game of the season features the Detroit Lions hosting the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of their thrilling wild-card game.
The first Monday Night Football game will see Aaron Rodgers make his return after rupturing his Achilles tendon just four snaps into his Jets career with New York visiting the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
Other Week 1 highlights include Russell Wilson appearing in his first game for the Steelers, as Pittsburgh visits the Atlanta Falcons, and No. 1 pick Caleb Williams making his NFL debut with the Chicago Bears hosting the Tennessee Titans.
Other rookie quarterbacks likely to take the field in Week 1 include No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 3 pick Drake Maye and the New England Patriots visiting the Cincinnati Bengals, and J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick, of the Minnesota Vikings visiting the Giants.
The Jim Harbaugh era in Los Angeles begins with the Chargers hosting the Raiders.
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