Dan Quinn - Head Coach, commanders Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-11 | Full transcript (primary source).
On September 11, 2026, Dan Quinn addressed the media during a press conference for the Commanders, reflecting on the significance of the date and its impact on the team and community. He also discussed player updates, including the return of key players from injury and the introduction of a weekly game captain.
Related analysis: Our take on what this means
Transcript
Quinn: I guess dang it I'll get started. I thought for somebody that know me for the last couple years on this day it's a good day to teach some of some remembrance of 9-11 after 25 years and so many of the players this is like a pre-living, you know memory that they're learning now and so for those of us that were and know it and certainly for us in the DMV, you know where it can hit differently as well. So we did that. We also will now add one game captain weekly and so this week's gonna be Sam Cosme and he just threw a great training camp trenches kind of game and play style for sure something you've heard me talk about for a lot. I thought Sam really embodies that and so all that said let's get rolling.
Quinn: I'm first because it's your birthday just one question but with ten parts O'Dofy Caleb on to Corey. What's their status? How did they look?
Quinn: Yep, so good news on the injury front that all those guys they're cleared we're ready and thought they worked extremely hard, you know to get back along with the training staff and so I guess almost six seven weeks ago. We said we were gonna throw a tough camp and there would be you know some you know issues that would come up and the goal at that time was to get them all back by the season opener you know when you do throw a tough camp, that's part of doing business, but that was always the goal and so to see that take place where everybody's back and ready to get going with the exception of you know I are in that but those guys that we've been discussing pleased with the way they worked and the training staff as well.
Quinn: With O'Dofy are there it does seem like he was maybe the one the little bit more on the fence. Is there any limitations for him or any of them?
Quinn: No, we're gonna huddle up as a staff you know tonight and tomorrow with the medical guys, but we really wanted to see where they're at going. So they'll look at all the information from the week, but I'm definitely pleased with where he's at.
Quinn: To be clear. Does that include Jacory or is that just those two that are cleared?
Quinn: Everyone's cleared.
Quinn: What do you hope to see in week one? I mean just after everything you guys put in and the offseason and changes you made what is it would be a successful game?
Quinn: One week one you want to play one with good play style Nick. I think that's important and you want to make sure like that you're playing with the discipline you know that comes in the form of the turnover margin that comes in the form of penalties where you're playing as clean as you can and so those are the things I think in early seasons that can be the margin you know where both sides will have new wrinkles and new looks that's part of it both sides have some new play callers so, you know, they'll be new, you know looks that they haven't practiced here. So having the discipline within the system to play it out and fight through the adversity when those come up like we know those happen. So I think those are some of the key points.
Quinn: By JP yesterday yesterday it just sort of getting back to you know, sort of the hunger of getting back to Philly after having, you know successful season 2024 to you know missing some time in 25 just throughout this camp and offseason what sort of have you seen that hunger come alive in him more?
Quinn: I mean, he's so laid back needs with us, but have you kind of seen that show in more ways?
Quinn: I think it honestly started like towards the end of the season last year. Okay, so that was where it began but from that point new system and changes which are hard to go through like his consistently working at it and going after it to like demonstrate readiness. He was more accurate than he's ever been so those are the things that I saw. He's always he's just a confident player and he's clutch. So like those things I wouldn't say they come natural to him, but like they're at the forefront. But all the unseen work that went in he's gotten stronger. He's gotten bigger. Like there's a lot of small things that you know, don't show up on the stat sheet that he is definitely done. But I love you know just kind of the fire that's in him.
Quinn: Then given its two new systems and play callers on both sides of the ball will we see everything we're gonna see in week one or will we see different things 10 weeks down the road because you're not able to unlock everything now?
Quinn: Yeah, that's fair very and yes definitely won't see everything in terms of a package and that grows as the season goes there could be some things based on players and matchups. But there's definitely of all the things that we put in that's good. You want that for the camp what you want to avoid doing is that looks like a cool play let's put that in and then not knowing the details of the ins and outs of it. So there's a lot that we have in and so kind of today is the last part. This is in this is out like what are the ones that trim down just a little bit more? So yeah, you'll definitely see you know a good bit of our system, but certainly not in its entirety in the game.
Quinn: And then since digs got here I think we've talked a lot about how that helps Terry and how it helps Jayden. What have you seen from the other receivers that are gonna get some time down down the down the list?
Quinn: Yeah one thing that's it like sometimes these good consequences that come up when you sign a player with his experience is like playing slot and so the information to Jalen Lane and Antonio and Luke and others inside some some just small nuances Barry that may not come up on a playbook paper in a sheet, but they set him up a little more go into this space and so conversely Jaden and Terry the spring and you know the part to know the system giving him information as well. This can be just like such-and-such and so it's kind of a cool blend of that and with Terry and him there's like a good balance between these two and they're different ball players but they're both really competitive. So I like kind of the the back and forth that they have. We'll feature them in different ways, but I do like you know, the balance that they bring together.
Quinn: Okay you were after that Ravens game you were kind of clear with us that you weren't happy with how it all played out how did you kind of exercise those demons over these last couple weeks didn't let you know that even though it's a separate group of players compete?
Quinn: I don't go back too far. I when something happens that I don't like like I let it be known right away and then we threw excellent practices some 50 guys made a practice the day after the game and some played the night before in it some didn't but it was clear that like this is you know, how we want to go about new business. So I love this team man. I love the locker room like it's the privilege of my lifetime to coach these guys. But I'm also gonna let them know like when something's not good enough whether you're here not here looking to be on the practice squad not like there's a standard and it goes deeply but once it's passed and like I'm not the one to like hey, you remember that time and take a jab at somebody like us that's not how I operate so I clearly you know give the message of where I'm at and then we've thrown excellent practices. So I prefer not to look in the rearview on things like it.
Quinn: You've talked a lot about how you feel like David Blau would be a great play caller on his own, right? But how do you kind of measure his relationship with Jaden and before he's ever kind of called a game and know that he will have a good relationship with the quarterback that he's responsible for?
Quinn: Yeah, it's an interesting question. I think here's some of the advantages like normal, you know when I like in Durante, he has taken him longer to build some relationships with some people because he wasn't part of the system. So that's a give-and-take in the offseason of getting to know one another you know longer meetings and you know one-on-one in that. So with David and Durante, I mean to me with David and Jaden it's different in that way. Like that bridge is merged. It's I'm in a new role, but the relationship is there and they've spent you know thousands of hours together. So the competitiveness the look of that so like they have a close bond before it, you know began and like David wanting to do this has a lot to do you know with also wanting to coach Jaden. And so I thought what a great example of and this happens all the time and coaching like and I want to coach this guy and that's the feeling that you got from David, you know towards Jaden and so I think it's been an excellent transition, you know for the both of them. It's not the same role that David was in and so I thought they've they've nailed that.
Quinn: Good afternoon coach.
Quinn: Afternoon.
Unknown: I wonder if there's any type of benefit as far as game playing with two first-time NFL coordinators with a familiarity obviously David Blau has been here when you guys face the Eagles before. Durante has faced the Eagles a few times over the last few years in Minnesota. You know Shawn Manion is there is there a benefit to that launching in the week one?
Quinn: Well, I'd say you know coaches David. It's like there's a lot of let's go back and look let's go find some more and that part happens all the time and could you let's look at this game. Let's look at that game you know, coach Fangio was here here and here, you know, Shawn was here here and here and you do some of that, but you don't want to go overboard on it either and from a player standpoint, it makes it a little more familiar whether for an example if you were you know Steph was coming here in training camp and you've played against him you have a night an understanding of what movements look like and what speeds are and what strengths are. But from a scheme standpoint when it's new you have to really, you know follow the rules this is what we're gonna do and you go from there because you're not into when this look happens this is the play and so you do have to play it, you know play it honest in that way.
Unknown: And I'm sure you don't want to double too much about it but when he comes to identifying the game day active roster kind of like what kind of goes into making those hard decisions towards those final guys that are gonna be active?
Quinn: Yep really the you know, the coordinators myself Adam, how does it tie in with special teams, you know from a game plan? What would we need how would we feature that and then the last part of that, you know, like our injuries meaning like, okay we're not sure. Let's have an extra let's be in that space. So it's like a little bit of maneuvering to go I would say usually it's probably okay this is 45 and then six and seven and eight and how do you work through that? So that's usually where like the last thing is when you the roster is healthier like it is now it makes it in a very excellent way more challenging. So I want to make sure I'm super clear on that but it's always not quite set on Tuesday night, but this is where we're heading. This is what we think we're gonna need this is where you know, we go and then we move forward from there but there's always things that pop up during the week and special teams coach fight for him offense fight for him defense fight for him and so that's why for Adam and I would just meet every day where we're out the team and kind of communicate on those things.
Unknown: Hey, Dan, I'm just I was just like a fantasy question related for if you got guys who are potentially inactive on your fan.
Quinn: Tell much I know about it.
Unknown: Office to the offensive line with losing Laramie and everything is you know gonna be a big focus there with with Brandon and Chris Paul on the left side. What were some of the hurdles that you had to see them kind of overcome over these last few weeks? And how have they been able to do that in your eyes to get ready for week one?
Quinn: There's no question about you know, like Laramie's impact and especially I would say with Josh like that's who that's little brother had a lot of ways and he's such a significant impact on him. So to have him here and being around like that's that's a big piece for us. Like most things the communication when you're working, you know side by side with somebody and not just verbal but the physical part to how quickly do I leave a combination block? Yeah, you got here quicker than I thought but some of it unspoken and Chris and Brandon, you know, I've been together here for you know, a few years. So that helps kind of like I was talking about with the relationship ties but you need the time on task and there is no silver lining with Laramie's injury the benefit of being earlier was they got more time to talk to play to practice to play to get timing and that type of thing down so both the tackles and the guards have gotten a lot of action together. The guards and the centers haven't had a lot but that doesn't mean they haven't spent a lot of time together like Nick's been here three years with these guys. So like that part of the communication I feel excellent with.
Unknown: Hey coach, happy birthday again.
Quinn: Thank you.
Unknown: Um, so looking at sunny styles and I think I asked a similar question the last two years actually when it came to your first round picks. It's just week one understanding it's a progression not going to see everything but so how do you kind of temper those expectations when it's your first round pick? And it's a top tenor, you know with just understanding that he's going to be growing as it goes on?
Quinn: I think the biggest ones like the expectations are from inside the rooms, you know inside the building and for teammates the coaches you know where we're at and so that's where you know we want to see him grow and develop, you know from the people that see him every day and the things that he's so unique at each game I think you're gonna see Sonny grow like it's part of first year players where there's some of this like we would love all development to go straight across but like everybody's been around just a little bit knows that's not really how it goes. So when those ones there we got people here to help him keep growing and develop but I think he's got a unbelievable opportunity ahead with them here some of the teammates that he's with like already that, you know in like six weeks the growth, you know that I've seen from him. So he's excited to get going. He's an excellent competitor you can tell he's comfortable even more comfortable now the system the people that you know the way it goes. So but yeah, we're really pumped to unleash him.
Unknown: Hey coach in training camp you focus a lot on that red zone area. Yes, and you know execution in that how have you seen that come together with what you want to execute there from the players standpoint?
Quinn: Yep on both sides being decisive because the decisions have to be made so much more quickly the plays happen more quickly. There's more urgency there's less distance in the throws and so we try to break them into like three areas parts of the red zone where you could like in the passing game throw over somebody and then you can't use in the back line. So by having the different levels of that that helps because now this is the location this is the location and seeing the decisiveness to go like most teams this is best for man-to-man they're playing zone we do this. So down the red zone it's like it's awesome because it's like everything in football compressed into this small area and back and forth and calls and setting people up and then you run it in and you know so it's like all of things compressed into this, you know short period of time but it takes like hyper focus excellent fast communication because all the plays happen so quickly in the decisions there like there can be no no beat in between like you have to be ready to go.
Quinn: All right, thank you everybody see you there.
