Washington Commanders’ New Team Captains Approach Under Dan Quinn’s Leadership

The Washington Commanders are shifting their leadership strategy with Dan Quinn, focusing on game captains instead of permanent ones to foster a dynamic team environment.

Aug 15, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn talks to reporters before joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders are changing things under the watch of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.

Among them, is the way the Commanders conduct their business. Not from a scheduling standpoint as much as it is a shift in the mentality this version of the team goes to work.

Aiding in that effort is the theory that Washington doesn’t have just one leader, and on this team, the quarterback isn’t even the main one.

Because of that fact, the Commanders coach knows each week will be an opportunity for different players to step up. Armed with that knowledge, Quinn let it be known that his team will not have permanent captains in 2024.

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Aug 15, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn talks to reporters before joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

"We'll be using game captains and I'll also utilize a group of some leaders that will be kind of with me on some decisions that or emphasis that I wanna make with the team,” Quinn said about the subject. “But, we'll pick game captains until the postseason and then we'll pick post-season captains. That'll be throughout." 

If Washington makes it to the postseason then itll name permanent captains for that period, but as for the ‘C’ patch, "They won't wear it, but they'll be a captain."

In previous stops for Quinn as a head coach he has had a full stock of permanent team captains, and he’s also had a number of them while adding one final captain on a per week basis. 

It appears in his second run as an NFL head coach, at least for this season, he’s opted to not name any in favor of reinforcing the total team concept he and his staff - and leaders on the roster for that matter - have been locked into throughout training camp.

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