Dan Quinn has gone from top coaching candidate to consolation prize overnight

This time last year Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the talk of the town and the hottest potential head-coaching candidate in the NFL. One road trip around the sun later and Quinn is almost an afterthought on the minds of teams needing new coaches. With names like Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick on the market, Quinn no longer has his pick of the liter and could become more of a consolation prize if he exits Big D.

Quinn is scheduled to interview with multiple teams this week, which is a formality. With all the current names in the mix, it doesn’t feel like Quinn is a top choice this time around. Last offseason, Quinn had his pick and chose to stay under Jerry Jones’ fancy umbrella. The best fit for Quinn would obviously be to head back to the Pacific Northwest to lead the Seahawks. Although, that would be the ultimate retread, especially after moving Pete Carroll into an advisor’s role in favor of a “fresh” start.

If Harbaugh genuinely wants back into the NFL this year, Quinn could wind up with one of the lower-tier coaching gigs. Carolina, Tennessee and Las Vegas are probably at the bottom of most candidates’ lists. And the Raiders really should stay with the guy already in-house, Antonio Pierce.

The top three destinations in most people’s minds are the Chargers, Falcons and Commanders. Harbaugh could have any of them as the top candidate with Belichick right behind. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is one many teams are waiting for, but that could take a couple more weeks.

Johnson is the fresh new face on the coaching carousel that isn’t a retread. If Harbaugh opts to stay in Ann Arbor, there’s a great chance Johnson could wind up in Los Angeles coaching the Chargers and Justin Herbert. The rumor mill has Belichick heavily linked to Atlanta, but whoever lands there needs to settle the quarterback issue quickly.

So much to consider

Only one organization seeking a new coach has a legit proven franchise QB on the roster. Aside from the Chargers, the other teams are either searching or have a young QB on the roster nobody is entirely sure of. The Panthers and Titans both have QBs with one season under their belts who showed flashes, but still have a long way to go. Seattle has Geno Smith, but he won’t be the guy there in three years.

Should Quinn be ready to take over his own team again or be pushed out of Dallas, his best bet would be Seattle. There is something about familiarity and knowing exactly what you’re getting yourself into that is comforting. Unless he can get the Chargers job, Quinn should be hoping Jerry Jones stays with Mike McCarthy so he can hang around at least another season to run the defense. Especially after that 48-point scraping that likely left a bad taste in many owners’ mouths.

There’s also an outside chance that Pittsburgh’s job comes open if Mike Tomlin decides to step away, but the jury is still out there. If Tomlin leaves for whatever reason and decides he doesn’t want a break ,that’s another big name on the list. Although that would create another vacancy, that’s looking much too far ahead at this moment.

Ultimately, Quinn’s best bet is to stay in Dallas if Jones stands pat and waits another year. It’s very unlikely Quinn will land any of the top jobs this time other than returning to Seattle. Harbaugh, Belichick, and Johnson seem to be the most talked about candidates, with Vrabel also being in the mix. Looks like the safe route could be the most feasible for Mr. Quinn.