Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce dedicated their Super Bowl comeback win to head coach Andy Reid after earlier barging into the 65-year-old and shouting in his face.

Kelce, whose high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift meant there was even greater focus on him and the game, was unhappy about not being on the field in the first quarter when Isiah Pacheco fumbled the ball with the Chiefs eight yards out and looking for their first touchdown.

Reid was knocked off balance but made little of the incident and, when Patrick Mahomes threw the match-winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman Jr to secure a 25-22 overtime win, all was forgotten.

“Oh you guys saw that?” Kelce told CBS when asked about it immediately after the game.

“I’m going to keep that between us unless my mic’d up tells the world but I was just telling him how much I love him.”

Speaking on ESPN SportsCenter Kelce, who shared a kiss on the pitch with Swift after she flew in from her Eras Tour show in Tokyo the day before, added: “Man, I was fired up — I was fired up that we weren’t hitting on all cylinders.

“I had to give ‘Big Red’ a love tap and let him know that we were all here fighting for him no matter what. I just had to tell him I loved him real quick.

“I put so much trust in him and how he goes about being a head coach, as a leader — he’s one of the best leaders in the game.

“I can’t thank him enough for giving me opportunities year in, year out. This third one, this second one back-to-back, this one’s for him, no doubt.”

Talking to reporters Kelce added: “I’ve got the greatest coach this game has ever seen.

“He’s helped me a lot with channelling that emotion, channelling that passion and I owe my entire career to that guy and being able to control how emotional I get. I just love him.”

The experienced Reid, who won his third Super Bowl title, played down the incident telling ESPN: “He came over and gave me a hug, said ‘Sorry about that”.

He just wants to be on the field and he wants to play. There’s nobody I get better than I get him. He’s a competitive kid, and he loves to play. He makes me feel young.”

In his post-match press conference the head coach added: “He caught me off-balance – he tested that hip out. Normally I get him a little bit but I didn’t have any feet under me.

“As much as he bumps into me, I get after him. We understand that. He just caught me off balance.”

Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes has labelled Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid the “best of all time” and said he will be back to attempt a Super Bowl three-peat next year.

Mahomes led his team to a 25-22 victory in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, collecting his third ring, after he threw the match-winning touchdown to Mecole Hardman Jr in overtime.

After the game he thanked his coach who he said “knows when to call those plays at the right time”.

Mahomes said: “He’s one of the best coaches of all time, I believe he is the best coach of all time.

“I know he didn’t have the trophies yet, and I have a lot of respect for some of those great coaches, but the way he is able to navigate every single team he has, continue to have success no matter where he is at.

“For me, he brings out the best in me because he lets me be me. He doesn’t try to make me anyone else, I don’t think I would be the quarterback that I am if I didn’t have coach Reid being my head coach.”

Mahomes said he will celebrate and then “do whatever I can to be back in this game next year”.

“I think Tom (Brady) said it best, once you win that championship and you have those parades and you get those rings, you’re not the champ anymore.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said going back-to-back was “surreal”.

“I got asked so many times it is a dynasty? I don’t know what a dynasty is,” he said.

“But it’s a great win because I know hard it is to do, and then how hard the season was, the ups and downs of the season, and how proud I am of the guys for hanging with each other, staying positive with each other.

“They’re passionate players and I love that.”

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said the team is “hurting”.

“If I am going to lose with a group of guys, I’d do it with those guys anytime and we’ll take some time, we’ll get over this and come back next year ready to go.

“That was the toughest defence we have been against this year, we knew it going into the game, that is a good group. We had our chances and needed to score a couple of touchdowns and we didn’t but I was happy with (quarterback) Brock (Purdy).”

The Kansas City Chiefs have become back-to-back Super Bowl winners for the first time in 20 years with a 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

Needing a field goal to extend the game or a touchdown to win, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes orchestrated the match-winning drive to end the game with a touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman Jr.

The 49ers were leading by three in overtime after they opted for a field goal to go ahead 22-19, but were unable to get the decisive stop.

It was the second time in NFL history a Super Bowl went to overtime and the first post-season game decided under the league’s new overtime rules.

Mahomes finished with 333 throwing yards, two touchdowns and 66 running yards, while 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards with one touchdown.

The only points in the first quarter came through kicker Jake Moody, who made Super Bowl history with the longest made field goal at 55 yards.

Disaster struck 49ers’ linebacker Dre Greenlaw early in the second quarter when he went down with a suspected Achilles injury while running onto the field and was immediately ruled out of the game.

But not long after, a special trick-play led to the first touchdown of the game, with Purdy passing across field to wide-receiver Jauan Jennings before he threw a pass to Christian McCaffrey who ran through to the endzone untouched.

The 49ers restricted Travis Kelce to just one touch for one yard in the first half and sacked Mahomes twice, with the 49ers ahead 10-3 at halftime.

Alicia Keys, Lil John and Ludacris joined Usher during the half-time performance, while Taylor Swift was among celebrities including Blake Lively, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay Z watching from the stands.

As play resumed, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker broke Moody’s Super Bowl record with a 57-yard field goal before a fumble error gave the Chiefs a huge chance for their first touchdown.

Mahomes found wide-receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with a 16-yard touchdown pass to take the lead for the first time in the game late in the third quarter.

However the 49ers hit back – with Purdy finding Jennings this time to score his own touchdown – however the bonus point was blocked, giving the 49ers a three-point lead with 11 minutes left.

A field goal to Butker tied the game once again, before Moody struck back to give the 49ers the lead again with less than two minutes left.

However, Butker finished regulation time with a field goal with six seconds left to tie the game 19-19.

Patrick Mahomes has Tom Brady in his sights on the eve of his bid to win a third Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is preparing to star in his fourth Super Bowl in six seasons in Sunday’s clash against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

Brady’s record seven Super Bowl titles saw him retire from NFL as the game’s undisputed greatest of all time.

But Mahomes, 28, has the chance to move to within four titles of Brady, who retired at the age of 45.

“If you ask me that question (of emulating Brady) in 15 years, I’ll see if I can get close to seven,” said Mahomes in a press conference to preview Sunday’s blockbuster match. “But seven does seem like a long way away.

“I have won only two Super Bowls so there are a couple of other guys in front of me before I even get close to chasing Tom.

“All you can do is try to be your best in every single game, play my best football, and hopefully my best football will be good enough to win this third Super Bowl.

“And then it is about doing it next year, and the year after that, and at the end of my career, hopefully I can say I am close to Tom.”

Mahomes’ Chiefs are out to become the first side to win consecutive NFL titles since Brady’s New England Patriots achieved the feat 19 years ago.

Mahomes continued: “I got close to winning back-to-back championships a couple of years ago and fell short in pretty disappointing fashion.

“I was blessed to get to two Super Bowls very early in my career, and we have had to work hard to get back here.

“So to be back on this stage, have that opportunity, and maximise that moment is important because not a lot of teams have been able to do it in the past.”

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is not worrying about personal reputations as he prepares for Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Shanahan, the son of two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan, has been here before, facing the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV four years ago, but came out on the wrong end of that one in a 31-20 defeat.

In each of the previous two seasons, the 44-year-old saw his 49ers lose in the NFC Championship game.

While he boasts a strong overall record in his seven seasons as a head coach, Shanahan faced questions in Las Vegas this week about whether another loss would feed a narrative that he could not win ‘the big one’.

“I’d deal with that the same as if we win,” Shanahan said. “I’d celebrate with my team, my family and then move on with the rest of my life, which is being a father, a son, coaching and working. A narrative, good or bad, is just a narrative.

“When you go into these games, what makes you prepare is you don’t want regrets. You want to do everything that makes sense to myself and to the team.

“When you do that, no matter how hard something is or how good something is, you keep perspective. If you want your perspective to be someone else’s narrative, good luck.”

Shanahan has a 72-54 overall record with the 49ers since they gave him his first head coaching job in 2017. But he acknowledged that now, only a Super Bowl win would represent a good season.

“That’s how it boils down for everybody in the NFL,” he said. “The only time in a season you’re satisfied without a Super Bowl is maybe the first year if you exceed expectations – that’s the only time if you don’t make the play-offs you don’t feel you’ve completely failed.

“Other than that, if you don’t make the play-offs in this league, no-one is happy. If you make the play-offs and lose your last game, no-one’s happy. If you get to the Super Bowl and lose the Super Bowl, you’re not happy.

“Only one team is happy at the end of the year. Whether it comes down to the Super Bowl or a play-off game, it’s the same. When you go for the big one it hurts when you get that close because it’s that hard to get there.

“We’re fortunate our team has been able to get here twice. The last one was a tough one.

“We have every opportunity but they made the plays and we didn’t. I think it will be a real tight game this weekend. We’ll see how it unfolds, but I like our chances.”

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been named the NFL’s most valuable player for the second time.

Jackson, 27, who missed out on a place in Sunday’s Super Bowl when the Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, was the pick of 49 of the 50-strong panel.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only other player to receive a first-place vote from the panel of media, ex-players and coaches.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was a clear winner of the offensive player of the year award, having finished third in the MVP vote behind Jackson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

Myles Garrett was voted defensive player of the year, one of four awards for the Cleveland Browns – Joe Flacco winning comeback player of the year with Kevin Stefanski named coach of the year and defensive co-ordinator Jim Schwartz assistant coach of the year.

Houston Texans players collected both rookie of the year titles, quarterback CJ Stroud clearly winning the offensive crown with Will Anderson Jr picking up the defensive award.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won his second Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday.

Jackson, who won his first league MVP in 2019, was a near-unanimous winner, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen got the only other first-place vote.

An overwhelming favourite to win the NFL's top award, Jackson led the Ravens to the AFC North title with a 13-4 record and the conference's top seed.

He accounted for 29 offensive touchdowns and led Baltimore in passing yards and rushing yards for the fifth straight season, throwing for 3,678 and running for 821 to become just the second player to pass for 3,500+ yards and rush for 800+ yards in a season, joining Kyler Murray in 2020.

The 27-year-old is now part of an exclusive group, becoming just the fourth player to win two MVPs before turning 28 years old, joining Patrick Mahomes (27) and Hall of Famers Brett Favre (27) and Jim Brown (22).

The MVP was one of eight AP awards handed out at the "NFL Honors" awards show on Thursday in Las Vegas - the site of Sunday's Super Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey won the AP Offensive Player of the Year.

McCaffrey, whose 49ers are facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, led the league with 1,459 rushing yards, 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns. 

The Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett took home the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

The All-Pro edge rusher had 14 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss, and was the focal point of a Cleveland defence that allowed a league-low 270.2 yards per game.

Garrett was one of four Browns to win an award, as quarterback Joe Flacco won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, narrowly beating out the Bills' Damar Hamlin.

Signed in November after being out of football, Flacco led the Browns to a 4-1 record down the stretch to help the franchise reach the playoffs.

Kevin Stefanski of the Browns won AP Coach of the Year, edging out the Houston Texans' DeMeco Ryans by one first-place vote.

Stefanski's defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, won the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award after directing the NFL's top-ranked defence.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in a runaway, receiving 48 of 50 first-place votes. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua got the other two.

Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the draft, led the Texans to the AFC South crown one year after the team won just three games. He finished eighth in passing yards with 4,108 - the third-most yards passing by a rookie in NFL history behind Andrew Luck (4,374 in 2012) and Justin Herbert (4,336 in 2020).

His teammate, Will Anderson, won Defensive Rookie of the Year after registering seven sacks, 22 QB hits and 10 tackles for loss.

Head coach Andy Reid says he can understand the Kansas City Chiefs being viewed as the underdog for this weekend’s Super Bowl but stressed he never approaches a game feeling like one.

Sunday’s NFL championship match in Las Vegas sees defending champions the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.

Reid’s side – who he has guided to three of the last four Super Bowls, triumphing against the 49ers in 2020 and the Philadelphia Eagles last year – suffered four defeats in six towards the end of the regular season before finding form in the play-offs.

And the 65-year-old told a press conference: “I understand why we’re the underdog, I get that – we had some ups and downs during the season.

“I never feel like an underdog going into a game. I understand why it’s been situated that way. It is what it is.”

Reid, whose experienced stars include quarter back Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, said his message to players tasting the showpiece for the first time to help calm nerves they might have was: “When you get through all of this, this stuff here, it’s a game.”

He added: “It’s faster than most games. It’s crazy how in the play-offs every game is a little faster the higher you go up. So it’s fast. But it’s still a game. You’re professionals, so you go play and do your job.”

Reid was asked about the likelihood of him considering retirement if the Chiefs complete back-to-back successes this weekend.

And he said: “I haven’t gone there, I don’t think about that. I’m tied up in the game and trying to take care of that. I’m sure somewhere I’ll know when that time is. It’s not today or Sunday.”

Kelce described Super Bowl week as having been “chaos and a lot of fun” with “a lot of energy at practices”.

He said: “I’m not even going to lie, things got a little chippy – I’m not going to say between who, but the offensive and defensive lines are trying to get their work in, trying to make sure everybody’s ready for the game.

“It just got me fired up yesterday, seeing everybody locked in and wanting to get their work in, making sure that everybody’s ready for the task in hand on Sunday. I just love the focus and the energy of the team right now.”

There has been considerable attention in the build-up to the contest on the fact Kelce is in a relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.

Asked if the buzz over his personal life was a distraction for him, Kelce said: “I love this game and I love coming into work.

“I think everybody has things in their lives that can take away from their focus in their work life, and you’ve just got to be able to compartmentalise that.

“It might be on a national media scale so it seems like it’s a lot harder, but in the reality of things, when I step on that field I’m focused on championship football and being a Kansas City Chief.”

Kelce was also asked why he thought there was such fascination with him and Swift, and said: “I think the values we stand for, and just who we are as people.

“We love to shine light on others, shine light around the people who help and support us, and on top of that I feel like we both have just a love for life.”

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is determined to stay focused on the job as he prepares for his first Super Bowl experience.

Purdy has gone from being last pick of the 2022 draft to taking centre stage in Las Vegas on Sunday when he goes up against Kansas City Chiefs main man Patrick Mahomes, who is preparing for his fourth NFL title match in the space of five years .

The 24-year-old, though, intends to play the game rather than get swept up in the occasion.

“There’s a fine line of it for sure,” Purdy said.

“Obviously studying and being prepared for every little situation and circumstance and being able to answer those questions right, but also, being able to enjoy the game.

“We are in the Super Bowl. You dream of this as a kid growing up, every kid dreamed of playing in this game.”

Purdy told a press conference: “It is a fine line, but man, at the end of the day this is something that we have all dream of growing up. You have to be grateful for it and have fun with it.”

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan feels Purdy’s humility is one of his greatest strengths.

“I think that’s the most special thing about Brock – he doesn’t really have to change much because that’s really who he is,” Shanahan said.

“He’s one of the most humble people I’ve ever met. I’ve talked about the solid foundation he has for who he is.

“When he came into the league, being the third quarterback, being the starter, what he has done this year, he is still the same guy he was on day one.”

The 49ers started a three-day practise week at their University of Nevada Las Vegas base, with tight end George Kittle and defensive lineman Arik Armstead back in the fold following their injury lay-offs.

Cornerback Ambry Thomas and linebacker Oren Burks also did limited work as they continue their own recovery.

Tackle Trent Williams was the only player to not train because of his normal veteran rest day.

Since reaching the 2019 Super Bowl, where they were beaten 31-20 by the Chiefs, the 49ers have continued to be regulars in the play-offs, but had came up short in their two previous NFC Championship Game appearances.

Having taken the extra step again this season, Shanahan is determined to go out on a high.

“Everything is trying to get to the last week, and we did get to this last week,” Shanahan said.

“Friday will be our last practice and Sunday will be our last game.

“You are always hoping you are the team that wins that last game, so that is our goal this week.”

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes insists he is humbled by his latest Super Bowl appearance.

Mahomes is preparing for his fourth NFL title match in the space of five years on Sunday as the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

Having won two of them, Mahomes’ success by the age of 28 has led to predictions that he could go on to emulate Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl triumphs.

Yet Mahomes is not looking beyond this weekend.

“It’s humbling because I never thought I would be in this many Super Bowl games, honestly,” he told reporters at a media conference.

“You strive to be great but you understand how hard it is to even be in this game, and for us to be in my fourth one in my sixth year of starting truly is remarkable.

“I don’t take it for granted because you never know if you’re going to be able to be back in this game.”

Brady won six of his Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in what was considered one of the game’s greatest dynasties, but Mahomes is reluctant to discuss the Chiefs in such terms.

He said: “I think the biggest thing about the dynasty is consistency. Trying to be consistently great every single year, not getting too big-headed or satisfied with where they’re at.

“You have to continue to do it year in and year out and I don’t think you can really say that you’re a dynasty until it’s over and people will look back at your career and how you did it.”

Mahomes’ first Super Bowl triumph came against the 49ers four years ago but he will be up against a different quarterback in this weekend’s rematch in 24-year-old Brock Purdy.

Purdy has come a long way since being labelled ‘Mr Irrelevant’ after being drafted 262nd and last in 2022, breaking into the team last season and being first choice throughout the current campaign.

Mahomes said: “He’s a great football player. He makes all the right plays. He’s a guy that goes out there and just competes, and he finds a way to win football games. That’s what you have to do in this league.”

The 49ers have not won the Super Bowl since their fifth triumph in 1995 but Purdy is drawing inspiration from their past great quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Purdy said: “I’m not going to compare myself to them or anything but they’ve set the standard for winning in this organisation.

“When you look at the 49ers logo, you think of success in Super Bowls because of those guys.

“They’ve been so great to me, supporting me, and when you talk to them you’re obviously in the presence of greatness.

“They got the job done and so it definitely makes you think, ‘all right, let’s step it up and live up to the standard that they set’.”

The Philadelphia Eagles will play in Brazil on the opening weekend of next season as South America hosts its first-ever NFL regular season game.

As well as three games in London and one in Munich in 2024, the league announced in December that it would be breaking new ground by taking another to the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.

The Eagles, last year’s Super Bowl runners-up, have been confirmed as the designated team for the historic occasion in Brazil in September.

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The NFL has confirmed that the game would be played on the Friday night of opening weekend – the first time a fixture has been in that slot since 1970.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “This landmark first international game in South America demonstrates the ongoing expansion of our global footprint.

“Playing on Friday night of week one is a unique way to highlight our international growth and ambitions.”

The opponent, like with the other International Games, will be announced shortly before the 2024 schedule release in the spring.

A recent vote by teams means the NFL will have the ability to schedule up to eight international games per season from 2025.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce wants to make sure his girlfriend Taylor Swift is not the only person in their relationship to bring silverware home this week.

Pop star Swift created history on Sunday by becoming the first artist to win a fourth Grammy for Album of the Year for her Midnights release.

It is Kelce’s turn to shine this week as he is part of the Chiefs’ squad who are gunning for back-to-back Super Bowl glory against the San Francisco 49ers.

The 34-year-old, who has won NFL’s biggest match twice before, is keen to contribute to the trophies on the mantelpiece.

“She’s unbelievable,” the Chiefs star tight end said at the Super Bowl’s ‘opening night’ in Las Vegas.

“She’s rewriting the history books herself. I told her I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware, too.”

Kelce’s relationship with Swift has brought more attention to the NFL in recent months and Kelce is embracing it.

“She’s definitely brought a lot of new faces to the game, and it’s been fun to experience that,” he said.

“Taylor has an unbelievable fanbase that follows her and supports her throughout her life.

“It’s been fun to kind of gather the Swifties into Chiefs Kingdom and open them up to the football world and sports world. It’s been cool to experience that.”

Kelce and the Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are appearing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years and are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in 2005.

Brady ended his career with a record seven Super Bowl rings, but Mahomes is not thinking about matching history.

“I’m not even close to halfway, so I haven’t put a lot of thought into it,” Mahomes told ESPN.

“So right now it’s do whatever I can to beat a great 49ers team and try to get that third ring.

“Then if you ask me that question in 15 years, I’ll see if I can get close to seven, but seven seems like a long ways away still.”

Tom Brady won a record sixth Super Bowl as he led the New England Patriots to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on this day in 2019.

Veteran quarterback Brady, playing in his ninth championship game, and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick masterminded victory in the 53rd edition of the NFL showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to add another Vince Lombardi Trophy to their successes in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014 and 2016.

The 41-year-old threw for 262 yards and engineered the game’s only touchdown drive as Sony Michel punched the ball in to give New England the lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Starting at their own 31, Brady found Rob Gronkowski with a short pass for 19 yards, then out of the gun, hit MVP Julian Edelman for a 13-yard completion.

Now at the Rams’ 38-yard line, Brady found Rex Burkhead with a short seven-yard pass before picking out Gronkowski again and watching him beat two defenders to finish two yards shy.

From the only redzone visit of the night, Michel took advantage of good blocking to score his sixth post-season touchdown.

Speaking afterwards, Brady had no intention of calling it a day after helping the Patriots tie the Pittsburgh Steelers’ record for the most championships.

He told CBS: “It doesn’t change anything. It’s been a great year. I’m so happy for my team-mates. This is a dream come true for all of us.”

Brady’s 20-year stay in New England came to a close when he announced his departure in March 2020, but his love affair with the Super Bowl did not.

In February 2021, he steered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at the age of 43, throwing three touchdown passes in the process.

Two years later, Brady announced his retirement and insisted he would not change his mind as he had done 12 months earlier.

His sporting career took an unexpected and sideways turn in August of the same year when he became a minority owner at Sky Bet Championship club Birmingham.

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.

The Seattle Seahawks have appointed Mike Macdonald as the youngest head coach in the NFL.

The 36-year-old, who has been defensive co-ordinator at the Baltimore Ravens for the past two seasons, replaces Pete Carroll who steered the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl victory during his 14 years in charge.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun, we’re going to work our tails off, and it’s going to be an incredible ride,” Macdonald told the team’s website, describing his appointment as “an honour”.

“We’re going to be here for a long time and we’re going to win a lot of football games.”

He said he was drawn to Seattle by the people and “to bring a championship back to Seattle”.

Macdonald started coaching at the University of Georgia while still a student, starting as an intern at the Ravens and working his way up before spending a season as defensive co-ordinator at the University of Michigan in 2021.

He returned in the same role for the Ravens, shaping the dominant defence which took them to the top seed in the AFC and within one game of the Super Bowl.

Carroll, who was moved to an advisory role with the Seahawks at the end of the season, was the oldest active coach in the NFL at 72.