Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn would never admit it, but he's probably looking forward to the offseason. It's been a nightmare campaign for his squad, and massive changes are coming in the near future in their quest to turn the tide.
Before then, there is one more game to navigate. And one pundit begged Quinn to do the one thing he's stubbornly refused to implement up to now.
There is nothing much to play for other than pride. It's been that way for a long time. Fans have been clamoring for Quinn to get the younger players involved for weeks. Aside from a couple of examples — such as Jordan Magee and Treylon Burks — the coach continues to rely on the experienced figures to get Washington out of its slump.
Commanders voice pleads with Dan Quinn to go younger in Week 18
It hasn't worked. Injuries haven't helped their cause, but there is not much to lose. With the Philadelphia Eagles resting some key men in Week 18 to make sure they are fresher for the playoffs, Quinn has no more excuses.
Denton Day from The Team 980 called out Quinn for his straight refusal to bring along the younger players who could be part of the team's plans moving forward. He acknowledged that there aren't many fledgling stars to choose from, but the Commanders must see what they can do at Lincoln Financial Field.
"My biggest disappointment with the coaching staff this year in the late stages of the season. This season was not going to be what we hoped it would be. My biggest frustration is how they seemingly don't acknowledge it, and don't make a difference. We are eliminated from playoff contention, but we're still going to throw everybody out there. The best way to get better as a young player is to actually play football games. Get the young guys out onto the field. The problem is there's not a lot of young guys."Denton Day
One of Denton's big Commanders disappointments this season: the coaching staff not playing the young players down the stretch pic.twitter.com/3Ls9wU7dbw
— The Team 980 (@team980) December 31, 2025
Choosing Josh Johnson over Sam Hartman as the starting quarterback showed Quinn's almost complete disdain for introducing a youth element across his roster. Some are more involved due to injury, but they would still be on the fringes if everyone were healthy.
The coach still cares about winning games, which is fine. But the Commanders are not going to be picking lower than No. 7 in the 2026 draft. Throwing more on the likes of Kain Medrano, Ale Kaho, Colson Yankoff, and Tyler Owens, among others, is an absolute must.
Quinn is fiercely loyal. He's been through a lot with some of his established starters, and he'll want to make sure they bow out gracefully. At the same time, this cannot hinder franchise progression.
There is nothing left to lose in every conceivable sense.