The Seattle Seahawks made a surprising move Wednesday, which could result in Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's departure.
Pete Carroll — who went 137-89 in 14 seasons as Seahawks head coach — stepped down and moved into an advisory role. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Quinn would quickly become a strong candidate to replace the 72-year-old.
#Cowboys DC Dan Quinn would quickly be considered a strong candidate to replace Pete Carroll, who now exits as HC.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2024
Now official. https://t.co/W20XVfykaB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2024
The 53-year-old has ties to Seattle. When the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, he was the DC, building a vaunted secondary nicknamed the "Legion of Boom."
He served as Atlanta Falcons HC from 2015-20. In his second season, he guided the organization to its second Super Bowl appearance, where it blew a 28-3 lead and lost to the New England Patriots.
Quinn leaving would be a major blow for the Cowboys. In three seasons under the 2021 Assistant Coach of the Year, Dallas leads the league in takeaways (93) and is fifth in points allowed (1,015). He also mentored stars, including LB Micah Parsons, CB DaRon Bland and CB Trevon Diggs.
ESPN's Todd Archer reported Cowboys owner Jerry Jones adjusted Quinn's contract to keep him in Dallas. However, if the "right opportunity presents itself," it could persuade him to leave.
Seattle seems like that opportunity. Even though the Seahawks missed the playoffs, they went 9-8 and have a good roster, which includes rookie CB Devon Witherspoon. As of Wednesday, he's tied for the third-best Defensive Rookie of the Year odds (+5000), per Fox Sports.
Quinn deserves to become an HC again, and it makes sense for him to take a great offer. Dallas should start considering a list of replacements since it wouldn't be shocking if the defensive mastermind exits this offseason.
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