It's been a rough couple of days for the Atlanta Falcons, but things aren't all bad in Atlanta now that the head coaching search is ramping up. However, as bad as things are for the Dirty, at least they're not the Washington Commanders, where ex-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is going through it.
Quinn's coaching staff overhaul already saw Washington find a new OC, but it doesn't end there. The 55-year-old is in the midst of a search for a new DC, and he's getting so desperate that the Commanders requested to interview ex-Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon for the DC opening.
Former Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon is interviewing today for the Washington Commanders defensive coordinator job. pic.twitter.com/HCVC4OQTSm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 15, 2026
In all honesty, the Falcons could be to blame for their desperation. They have already blocked coordinator interview requests for DC Jeff Ulbrich, but they're letting other assistants speak with other teams. And it's almost certain that Quinn would have requested to interview him.
With Jeff Ulbrich unavailable, Dan Quinn is getting desperate to fill the Commanders' DC opening
In his original stint in Atlanta, Ulbrich spent his first five seasons on Quinn's defensive coaching staff, and ultimately became one of his top lieutenants. When Quinn was fired midway through 2020, the 48-year-old was promoted to interim defensive coordinator while Raheem Morris was interim coach.
Ulbrich hasn't always been held in the highest regard, but he altered his reputation in 2025. He helped lead the Falcons' defense to a single-season franchise record in sacks and got the most out of the unit's young talent. He even helped modernize the defense afterJimmy Lake set the defense back.
For that reason, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the new staff, he was expected to be a hot commodity in coaching circles, but Arthur Blank has other plans. Recent reports suggest the Falcons rightfully want to keep Ulbrich in Atlanta by any means necessary even though teams aee interested.
As for Gannon, if Quinn trusts him to lead the defense, it could see him be ousted just like he was in Atlanta. His track record as a DC is strong, but that was with highly talented units in Philadelphia, but his work in Arizona triggered question marks both about his credentials and his leadership.
The Cardinals ranked 26th in EPA per play this season and 27th in EPA per dropback, and they fielded three straight bottom-tier defenses under Gannon. They also ended the season with nine straight losses where the locker room basically quit on him, which never happened with a guy like Morris.
He also shoved Emari Demercado on the sidelines and seems to be relatively emotionless. Whatever sucess he had in Philadelphia is irrelevant, because Washington is only interested in Gannon because the Falcons aren't granting access to their real target.