Cowboys' Dan Quinn, Sean Payton, Harbaugh: Broncos 'Big Swing' to Hire Coach
FRISCO - It merited a celebration a year ago as a Dallas Cowboys coup when defensive coordinator Dan Quinn jumped off the Coaching Carousel, quit interviewing for a 2022 head coach job, and opted to stay another year at The Star.
Among the reasons then? Owner Jerry Jones’ wallet.
Will that work again in 2023?
Quinn is quite obviously going to be a candidate for the Denver Broncos vacancy (NFL Network suggests a "big swing'' three-man list also featuring Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh). Whether Quinn or the other candidates view the Broncos' situation as attractive is to be determined.
But this we know: Cowboys vs. Broncos in a Dan Quinn tug-of-war will not, contrary to what some in Denver seem to think, be about money.
Two informed league sources stated to CowboysSI.com at this time last year that Quinn got a promise of a “substantial raise” to remain in Dallas … with the pledge likely in the form of a future arrangement should Quinn still be here in 2023.
Jones last year insisted that Quinn was offered a head coaching job elsewhere but was convinced to stay. The owner also added, “He's staying to be our coordinator for years to come'' while suggesting that Quinn might someday get consideration for the top job in Dallas.
That was and is a bit awkward, because Mike McCarthy - who has now impressively won 12 games in consecutive years - firmly holds that job. So the reality is, Quinn was always going to be a top candidate for 2023 NFL jobs.
As a source told us when we broke the story a year ago: “Dan is staying in Dallas, that's it for this year and we'll see what happens next year.''
But Jerry has a grander vision - and a way to see that vision through due to finance.
Quinn, 52, entered that offseason coach-search cycle as the hottest candidate after transforming 12-5 Dallas' defense from the NFL's worst in 2020 to the seventh-best (in points allowed) in 2021 - and maybe the league's best play-making group. He supervised a breakout season from All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, the league's interceptions leader, and from rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, a finalist for for Defensive Player of the Year, and did the same for an assortment of lesser standouts.
Quinn has an infectious leadership ability but is also an accomplished X's-and-O's guy, skills he put on display before spending his so-far one season in Dallas, as he was the head coach of the Super Bowl finalist Atlanta Falcons and the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl Seattle Seahawks.
Quinn was drawing interest from the Giants, Broncos, Jaguars, Bears, Dolphins, and Vikings. But Denver hired Nathaniel Hackett (now fired) and former Cowboys assistant Matt Eberflus got the Chicago job.
It is worth noting, especially because Broncos ownership is being touted as having those deep Walmart family pockets: Quinn is still working under the head-coaching contract he signed with Atlanta through the 2022 season, meaning that a Cowboys "raise'' would go into effect in 2023 - assuming, that is, he remains in Dallas.
And Jerry is on-record this year as saying he's committed to keeping Quinn in a same way he was a year ago ... meaning, basically, that the Jones family has deep pockets, too.
Quinn will tell you he "loves it here,'' and we will counter by saying he is the sort of person that is going to "love'' “where his feet are'' - one of Quinn's favorite phrases and his life philosophy.
How much is there to "love'' in Denver or elsewhere? It's not Jerry Jones' wallet that is about to be tested here; On the line is how much Dan Quinn wants another chance to captain his own ship.
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