Falcons: Would re-hiring Dan Quinn as HC be an idiotic proposition?

Let's get one thing out of the way: Dan Quinn was not that bad of a head coach. After all, he led the Atlanta Falcons to their second Super Bowl in franchise history, even if Kyle Shanahan was a big player in the historic run.

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Things just faded and became stale with Quinn as the head man in Atlanta. The same thing can be said about Andy Reid in Philadelphia—it doesn't make either of them bad coaches. With all of that being said, would it be a dumb idea for the Falcons to bring back Dan Quinn as their head coach?

Could Dan Quinn find himself as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons again?

Dan Quinn was fired as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons after a disappointing start to the 2020 season. Quinn then had a few months to re-invent himself before being hired as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.

Things paid off for him in a huge way as he took a defense that was one of the worst in the NFL the year before and made it one of the best over the past three seasons.

Quinn quickly became a hot head coaching candidate but has declined to leave Dallas in the past two offseasons. He knows that this could be his last shot at being a head coach and is smartly taking his time to find the best opening. It wouldn't be surprising if that opportunity presented itself this upcoming offseason.

Ironically, one of those openings could be with his former team, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons seem to be leaning toward firing Arthur Smith after the conclusion of his third season which will mean they are back in the head coaching hunt.

As crazy as it sounds, Dan Quinn could be an option. Quinn has proven that he is a different coach since the time he was fired. He has built an incredible defensive coaching staff and has led a dominant defense with Dallas.

Quinn could also be attracted to the familiarity of Atlanta and the Falcons franchise—even if the whole roster has essentially been turned upside down.

However, it could be an awkward meeting between Quinn and owner Arthur Blank. After all, that is the owner who sent you packing but those two don't seem to be the type to hold grudges.

In the end, however, this probably won't happen. Bringing fresh eyes into the building is a better option than eyes that have already seen all four walls. Not to mention, if you are looking to hire a defensive coach as your head coach, Ryan Nielsen would be the top option and there is no reason to select Quinn over him—same familiarity, different results defensive results as the leader of the Falcons.