Seahawks must consider if they're attractive team to potential future coaching candidates
Every move they make will have huge ramifications in the future, good or bad
After speculating on Tuesday if Dan Quinn would make the Arizona Cardinals a better team or not, the coaching cycle news on Thursday brings the report that Quinn must not think so. Quinn is returning to the Dallas Cowboys for a third season as defensive coordinator, opting to turn down any further interview or offer opportunities after interviewing with the Cardinals, Broncos, and Colts.
The news comes after Jim Harbaugh said “Thanks, but not thanks” to the Broncos and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson turned down the Carolina Panthers (who hired Frank Reich on Thursday) request for an interview because he’d rather stay with the actual Detroit Lions. There is speculation that Sean Payton is going back to television after being connected to at least four of the five openings this cycle, but on Thursday he appeared to go through with his interview with the Cardinals.
There is, of course, the possibility that Quinn, Payton, and Harbaugh would not have received official job offers from any team. That it would be better to say publicly say “No” than to have the public find out that they heard “No”. But isn’t it just as reasonable to say that these job opportunities flat out suck?
If I were a coach, I would find it fair to speculate that in a year, at least one of the Cowboys, Rams, Packers, Patriots, Chargers, Saints, Jets, and yes, Seahawks could have an opening. This doesn’t even necessarily imply bad news for Pete Carroll. It could be a happy ending! When that time comes for Seattle though, whether it is in 2024, 2025, or 2026, it just as important for the Seahawks to be desired as it is for a coach to be wanted. And we don’t even know for sure who the owner of the Seahawks—the interviewer to this prospective interviewee—will be when that day comes.
That’s why I want to point out that of the remaining four head coach openings in the NFL, three come with an anchor at quarterback. Could this by why the coaching cycle appears to be moving slow and with so many public declarations of commitment to a coordinator job?