6 Cowboys on Thin Ice Heading Into the Offseason

2. Dan Quinn, Defensive Coordinator

There have been so many really positive aspects of Dan Quinn being a member of the Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff. When he inherited the defense in 2021, he took over a unit that ranked 28th in the league in points allowed the year prior, and he instantly turned them into a top-10 unit.

Well, it was Quinn along with the arrival of Micah Parsons and some other good players, but still...

Quinn's presence on that side of the ball was a gift from the football gods in Dallas, and the way he turned around that defense brought the Cowboys back into relevance. It was no wonder Quinn was getting interview requests all over the place to be a head coach again in 2022, but he ultimately decided to return to Dallas.

And he did the same thing in the 2023 offseason.

Now, heading into 2024, Quinn is once again a hot head coaching candidate. Nobody loves the retread more than desperate NFL teams, but Quinn is a solid candidate in his own right. He was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons when they reached the Super Bowl a handful of years ago, although we don't need to talk about the way that ended.

Actually, we probably do.

The 28-3 collapse against the Patriots in the Super Bowl is really reminiscent of Quinn's time in Dallas. Utter domination for three quarters, only to completely collapse when it matters most. It feels like that's how things have gone for Quinn as defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. Awesome, even dominant regular season, only to collapse in the playoffs.

Dallas's defensive performance against Green Bay won't have many Cowboys fans missing Dan Quinn all that much in the next month or so, should he get a job elsewhere.