The Washington Commanders’ season is threatening to unravel after another frustrating Monday night, with a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers leaving them at 1-4-1.
The Commanders trailed 20-3 at halftime against San Francisco before mounting a second-half comeback, but another questionable decision from Jayden Daniels and continued concerns about head coach Dan Quinn and his staff have left the team facing serious questions heading into its bye week.
NFL Analysts Call for Dan Quinn to Be Fired
With Washington struggling to find consistency and Terry McLaurin leaving the game with a knee injury, PFN asked our NFL analysts for their thoughts on the Commanders’ outlook and whether Quinn’s time with the franchise is running out.
Caleb Yaccarino had the strongest take on what the loss should mean for the Commanders and believes the coaching staff is preventing Daniels from reaching his potential.
“Jayden Daniels has unlimited potential and can lead this team to wins, but coaching is holding him back, and constantly putting him in situations that risk his long-term health is a fireable offense,” Yaccarino wrote. “Add that to the long list of reasons the Commanders should move on from Dan Quinn, which must happen at some point this season.”
Daniels is currently ranked 15th in PFN’s QB Impact Score with a grade of 77.8 through six weeks, while the team’s offense as a whole is ranked 20th with a 73.2 grade in PFN’s Offense Impact Score.
Jason Katz doesn’t see the season getting any better for Washington after repeated blunders and called for the organization not to delay the eventual firing of its head coach.
“The Commanders are still playing hard for Quinn, but the decision has to be about more than that. Too many in-game blunders. Too many penalties. Too much lack of discipline,” Katz said. “That falls on the coach. This team is very clearly going nowhere this year. If you’re gonna fire Quinn after the season, just do it now.”
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Jacob Infante was equally blunt, saying, “The Commanders’ season is over, and it’s looking like the writing is on the wall for Dan Quinn’s future with the team. I don’t believe they have the offensive firepower anymore to consistently win games, even in a miserable NFC East.”
Brandon Astreicher also called for Quinn’s firing, writing, “I feel bad for the Commanders. It [expletive] when your coach chooses to help your opponent. Dan Quinn has to be fired.
“Peewee-level mistakes every week; it’s frankly embarrassing,” he continued, while also adding that with Quinn gone, Washington may have a chance to give it a run in the “awful” NFC East race.
On the other hand, Brandon Austin differed slightly from the last message, noting that the Commanders might not have a chance in the NFC East anymore.
“Dan Quinn’s days are numbered. Jayden Daniels has also made some unacceptable blunders. But it starts at the top, and you have to ask: what does Quinn add to this football team?”
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Kyle Soppe, meanwhile, acknowledged the Commanders’ fightback in the second half after trailing 20-3 at halftime. Still, he believes the bye week would be a perfect window to make changes, but he doesn’t see a major turnaround for the team, even if a new head coach replaces Quinn.
“The Commanders aren’t going anywhere, but they showed nice battle in a game they had no business having a shot to win. A change during the bye tracks, as the rest of this season is a low-stakes operation, but I’m not sure anyone is having success at the head of this ship for the remainder of 2026.”
The Commanders and Daniels will return home in Week 8 to face the Philadelphia Eagles. Whether that will be with Quinn or a new head coach remains to be seen.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.