Dan Quinn: Commanders are the hunters, not the hunted, in 2025

The Washington Commanders aren’t concerned with labels or external expectations heading into the 2025 season. Head coach Dan Quinn made that clear during his OTA press conference when asked about how the team plans to handle the success and momentum gained from last year.

The Commanders, who showed significant growth in 2024 and now enter a new era under Quinn’s leadership, are focused on maintaining an aggressive, no-complacency approach.

Washington, according to Quinn, will not be viewing themselves as a team with a target on its back, but rather one that’s still hunting.

Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn calls a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

“We are always the hunters,” Quinn said. “Okay. Don’t go there. I know I’m cutting you off right before you get started. That way we don’t have to like get into ‘are you the hunter, the hunted,’ like we are always the hunters.”

Quinn, known for his intensity and culture-building, wants his team to embrace the mindset of earning everything, regardless of last season’s strides or offseason additions.

“So we’ve got a lot to prove,” Quinn continued. “And so, for us, that is what the hunting is. It’s not something that’s going to be on at the end of the season. It’s right now—about these next three weeks. We’ve got a couple weeks of OTAs and a minicamp, and it’s like absolutely going after it as hard as we can to see how good we can get. And then we’ll worry about training camp.”

For Washington, that mindset begins in the spring and defines the team’s culture going forward.

“The hunter is a mindset,” Quinn said. “It’s an attitude of absolutely delivering and going for it. But that’s who we are. And that doesn’t change anything done previously. It’s just how we get down.”

With Quinn setting the tone early, the Commanders appear ready to attack the 2025 season with a renewed sense of purpose.

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