Refusal to give young players experience in a lost season
The Washington Commanders looked like a lost cause from a long way out. Their final few games of the campaign were expected to focus on evaluating the entire roster ahead of the crucial offseason. However, head coach Dan Quinn clung to the experienced figures right until the very end.
This drew the ire of fans. Players who could potentially be part of the team's future were left on the fringes, relying on special teams reps for experience. Veteran players who'll likely leave the franchise in the coming weeks received the lion's share of reps, which was a grave mistake given the circumstances.
Quinn was playing to win, which is fine. However, he should have seen the situation for what it was and adjusted accordingly.
This also reportedly didn't sit well with general manager Adam Peters. He wanted to see more of the young guns on Washington's roster to get a better sense of where things stand and what might be needed. And with the Commanders playing for nothing other than pride, there would never be a better chance to give them live-fire reps in a regular-season setting.
It didn't happen. Quinn's loyalty and stubbornness got in the way. And aside from a few rare examples, the rest remain unknown quantities.
Loyalty towards Commanders' coordinators
Another reported disagreement between Adam Peters and Dan Quinn centered on the head coach's under-fire coordinators. The Washington Commanders regressed in almost every area this season. Even with several mitigating factors, someone always has to take the fall for a drop-off this severe.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic revealed a supposed disconnect between Peters and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Quinn already demoted defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. from play-calling responsibilities, so most anticipated him to depart the franchise once their regular-season engagements concluded.
And yet, Quinn was reportedly reluctant to remove either from the equation.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz, citing sources familiar with the situation, didn't get the sense that Quinn was particularly enamored with the idea of losing Kingsbury or Whitt. As expected, Peters was thought to have a different opinion. In the end, both were free to take their chances elsewhere.
Quinn couldn't possibly have been naive enough to think he could run it back with the same staff after what went down. That's not blind loyalty — it's complete delusion. Kingsbury's departure was the most surprising, but rumors had been building for days.
What's done is done. This is all about finding the right replacements now.