The Washington Commanders have not lost faith in head coach Dan Quinn despite an underwhelming second campaign at the helm.
They believed he was the right man to spearhead this project to relevance and beyond, something he accomplished emphatically in his first campaign. As it turned out, this immediate success was enough to give Quinn the benefit of the doubt for a five-win year in 2025.
However, that didn't stop two Commanders radio pundits from wondering just what things would look like had those in power considered Mike Vrabel for the job.
Vrabel was available after being fired by the Tennessee Titans. He spoke to teams about an immediate return to work, but the Commanders weren't one of them. Nobody else took the plunge either, which worked out well for the New England Patriots.
Mike Vrabel wasn't considered for the Commanders' head-coaching vacancy, but why?
The AFC East club is back in the Super Bowl in Vrabel's first season at the helm. This left Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan perplexed by the Commanders' decision to completely ignore his credentials in favor of Quinn.
"Looking back, it does feel like malpractice that one of the best coaches of the previous several years was available — it would be like Kevin Stefanski or John Harbaugh becoming available while doing a search — and not talking to those guys. That's what it was, man. He [Mike Vrabel] was out there. People were interviewing him. Washington was not one of those people. And now, two years later, he's in the Super Bowl."Grant Paulsen
This sentiment was echoed by Paulsen's co-host, Danny Rouhier, who couldn't believe someone with Vrabel's previous accomplishments wasn't at least brought in for an interview as part of Washington's extensive search for a new head coach.
"It's insane to me. It is absolutely insane. He [Mike Vrabel] took Ryan Tannehill to the AFC title game. He inherited [Marcus] Mariota and had multiple winning seasons in a row with Ryan Tannehill."Danny Rouhier
The Commanders reportedly wanted Ben Johnson, but he turned them down. They thought Quinn was a leader and culture setter that Washington needed to get this rebuild up and running. Vrabel also has those exceptional traits, so not giving him the chance to plead his case does seem a little odd in hindsight.
Perhaps playing a role in Tennessee's downward spiral was off-putting. Perhaps the year away from coaching was precisely what Vrabel needed to galvanize his career. There is just no telling for sure, but nobody would have been discussing this after the 2024 season when Quinn led Washington to the NFC Championship game.
Everyone thought he was the correct appointment then. There are more questions now, but Quinn has at least made the urgent changes with bold moves that could hopefully help him to turn the tide.
As for Vrabel? He landed exactly where he was supposed to be. All those who had reservations about hiring him in 2024 can do no more than look on with extreme regret.