5 potential replacements for Dan Quinn with the Atlanta Falcons

What would you know? The best candidate to theoretically replace Quinn might be the man who beat him to getting fired first in 2020. Jay Gruden got a raw deal with the Washington Redskins. Of course, he had to know how deplorably dysfunctional that franchise was before taking the job in 2014, but it’s super hard to turn down an NFL head coaching gig for the first time.

Gruden will learn from his mistakes in Washington, as he will finally have an organization that will put the strong offensive-minded head coach in a position to succeed. He had great success as the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator before arriving in Washington. Gruden had been part of his older brother Jon Gruden’s staff in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for much of the 2000s.

What makes Gruden a good head-coaching candidate for the Falcons should they part ways with Quinn is that he’s a no-nonsense guy that will tell you how it is and will bring the most out of his starting quarterback. Gruden was a great player in college at the University of Louisville. He had done great things with Andy Dalton in Cincinnati and Kirk Cousins in Washington.

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Matt Ryan is a superior quarterback when compared to those two. Plus, let’s not forget that he comes from another branch of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, the offensive coordinator who led Ryan to an MVP season and the Falcons to a Super Bowl. This may not be a sexy hire, but parties need each other and could make for a compelling fit to start 2020 out on a high note.