Atlanta Falcons to keep Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff

Dan Quinn was an easy bet to be fired not that long ago, but the Atlanta Falcons will retain him and general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

As the Atlanta Falcons went into a Week 9 bye with a 1-7 record, head coach Dan Quinn was an easy bet to be fired at season’s end, if not before. But with improvement shown in the second half of the season, the team has announced that Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff will be back next season.

The Falcons head into their season finale Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 6-9 record. A reshuffling of the coaching staff during the bye week has brought improvement on the defensive side of the ball, and wins over the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers on the road during their 5-2 run have particularly stood out. The prospect of a second straight 7-9 season will go down as a net positive.

Owner Arthur Blank has seemed hesitant to pull the trigger on a coaching change, and by connection Dimitroff would naturally be replaced as general manager. The two are tied together for better or worse, but the broader situation makes a full overhaul difficult.

During their dismal first half of the season, the Falcons were two things no franchise wants to be-bad on the field, and financially strapped going forward. The trade of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu provided some relief, but as of right now Atlanta is still a bit in the red (over the salary cap) for 2020.

A new general manager and head coach would inherit a top-heavy Falcons’ roster, with no easy ways to change that for another year or two based on the cap situation and the prospect of dead money to absorb. So all things considered, stocking with Quinn and Dimitroff for another year makes the most sense. A year from now, if the team’s win-loss record isn’t different, Blank’s hand will be forced.